Top clubs threaten to form new "Super League"

ardinn

What do you make of this?

I surely cant Imagine a Europe wide League but how do they go about setting up domestic leagues with so few clubs, surely the respective FA'S have to have some authority over them also, and they will not leave the governing bodies.

Also If a euro league did happen the away support would be unfortunate to say the least - Reeks of BS from Yahoo news but the story is taken from the Guardian who I hear are reliable.

Top clubs have threatened to break away from FIFA and UEFA and form their own super league unless their concerns over fixtures and finance are addressed.

According to a report in The Guardian, clubs are disillusioned with the way the European and global game is run, and could create a sensation by setting up their own competitions, possibly under the banner of the European Club Association, which represents 197 clubs including 10 top Premier League sides.

Europe's clubs have an agreement with UEFA that commits them to tournaments like the Champions League, and obliges them to release players for FIFA competitions - however, this deal expires in 2014.

The strained relationship between the governing bodies and the clubs was illustrated by a stinging attack on FIFA by Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on Wednesday, when he called for a "revolution" in football.

Rummenigge said: "Sepp Blatter is saying he is cleaning up the game, but the fact that no-one believes him, tells you everything you need to know. I'm not optimistic because they believe the system is working perfectly as it is. It is a money-machine.

"It is a nice game but it is decided by people who are corrupt. I am not ready to accept the system as it is and I am not alone."

There is an increasing feeling that FIFA has lost authority, and that its leadership lacks both the will and the means to eliminate corruption.

An ECA board member told The Guardian: "The fact that Bayern Munich, who have always been close to the institutions, are being so vocal and loud about the situation is a clear sign we're very close to breaking point.

"We have a memorandum of understanding with UEFA that expires in 2014. After that time we can no longer be forced to respect FIFA statutes or UEFA regulations. And we won't be obliged to compete in their competitions."

The ECA comprises all of Europe's top clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan, plus the following Premier League clubs: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Fulham.

carefulnow100

Ita hard to even imagine it would be financially viable to have a European league imagine the transport costs alone!!

Its all Blatters fault!!:pac:

Says he's cleaning up the game when he's always on boards!

x in the city

ardinn wrote: »

What do you make of this?

I surely cant Imagine a Europe wide League but how do they go about setting up domestic leagues with so few clubs, surely the respective FA'S have to have some authority over them also, and they will not leave the governing bodies.

Also If a euro league did happen the away support would be unfortunate to say the least - Reeks of BS from Yahoo news but the story is taken from the Guardian who I hear are reliable.

Blatter can fcuk right off, corrupt fat cnut! he seems to be around for decades and decades, why doesnt he retire and use up his tax free cash somewhere.

tommyhaas

ardinn wrote: »

What do you make of this?

I can't see it happening, if the present agreement is up in 2014,I'd imagine this threat is more of a bargaining tool

Still, a European League would be interesting. Is the plan for it to consist of the best European sides, or the best side/sides from all European countries?

It would undoubtedly though make the gap between the big and small clubs unbridgeable and completely devalue domestic football. Also, how would promotion from domestic league to the European league even work?

ardinn

tommyhaas wrote: »

Still, a European League would be interesting. Is the plan for it to consist of the best European sides, or the best side/sides from all European countries?

It would undoubtedly though make the gap between the big and small clubs unbridgeable and completely devalue domestic football. Also, how would promotion from domestic league to the European league even work?

Would be a nightmare to organize allright, Which method of selection would you choose - I presume a top 3 from each country, (italy england, spain) followed by 1 or 2 from the smaller nations, but it couldnt work - how do you even begin to sort out promotion, relegation - Would the lowest english club (who could possibly finish 3rd) be relegated? Very messy in my head. Also agree it would devalue domestic football immensely, but that may not happen either.

That_Guy

Newcastle United.... Top club?

:eek::eek:

tommyhaas

ardinn wrote: »

Would be a nightmare to organize allright, Which method of selection would you choose - I presume a top 3 from each country, (italy england, spain) followed by 1 or 2 from the smaller nations, but it couldnt work - how do you even begin to sort out promotion, relegation - Would the lowest english club (who could possibly finish 3rd) be relegated? Very messy in my head. Also agree it would devalue domestic football immensely, but that may not happen either.

It just sounds too messy. What I would like to see though is the Champions league become a world wide competition. Obviously with the travel times involved, the number of domestic games would have to be reduced, but I think it would be interesting and possibly viable

Chucky the tree

A europen league would be horrible. I'd have little interest in following it.

LightningBolt

Assuming teams no longer play in their own national league...

Go NFL style with conference divisions. Eight groups of six. You play everybody in your group twice and then play another four divisions once. You'd end up playing 34 games.

Playoffs then at the end of the season. Could also go with six groups of eight playing other group teams twice and then two other groups playing a total of 30 games.

Fantasy stuff though.

FatherTed

Yakult

How about just sorting FIFA/UEFA out instead of going to the hassle of this "Super League" that wont be so super..

Surely all the clubs together are stronger than those corrupt fools running the game from the top, so why not come together and get those idiots out once and for all.

Coillte_Bhoy

Yakult wrote: »

How about just sorting FIFA/UEFA out instead of going to the hassle of this "Super League" that wont be so super..

Surely all the clubs together are stronger than those corrupt fools running the game from the top, so why not come together and get those idiots out once and for all.

And how do you suggest they go about this?

Yeah a super league would be great for away fans. One match a season and you'd be skint.

Top idea

stovelid

Think a lot of fans would like the idea though: a month of Super Sundays if you will.

J Cheever Loophole

Surely a European Super League is simply the next logical step, given the way that football has moved since the seventies and eighties. The current 'Champions League' is made up of a majority of teams that are not even Champions, with many member nations of UEFA not even being represented in the premier competition.

Of course the Champions League is a money making scheme, but more and more I feel there is a general disinterest in the competition itself, until the knock out stages are reached. This disinterest is likely to be reflected in poorer TV audiences and subsequently poorer TV revenues. Surely the best way to tap into the potential billions is for the elite clubs simply to play each other, without the need for meaningless group games against second and third tier teams? The elite clubs will know themselves that the potential is there to earn an awful lot more. Someone raised the issue of fans - I'm not sure that would be much of a factor in the thinking!!

As for the competition itself, I would assume it would be run along the lines of Super 14 Rugby (or whatever the current number is at the moment) with no relegation / promotion, but rather some sort of franchise system?

It wouldn't be good for football generally, but then when did that really matter?

GavRedKing

It would make the away trips fun ayway, I'd rather be going to Spain or Italy then to Stoke :P

Only thing is it would surely de-value the Champions League.

Fr Tod Umptious

J Cheever Loophole wrote: »

Surely a European Super League is simply the next logical step, given the way that football has moved since the seventies and eighties. The current 'Champions League' is made up of a majority of teams that are not even Champions, with many member nations of UEFA not even being represented in the premier competition.

Of course the Champions League is a money making scheme, but more and more I feel there is a general disinterest in the competition itself, until the knock out stages are reached. This disinterest is likely to be reflected in poorer TV audiences and subsequently poorer TV revenues. Surely the best way to tap into the potential billions is for the elite clubs simply to play each other, without the need for meaningless group games against second and third tier teams? The elite clubs will know themselves that the potential is there to earn an awful lot more. Someone raised the issue of fans - I'm not sure that would be much of a factor in the thinking!!

As for the competition itself, I would assume it would be run along the lines of Super 14 Rugby (or whatever the current number is at the moment) with no relegation / promotion, but rather some sort of franchise system?

It wouldn't be good for football generally, but then when did that really matter?

The term 'European Super league' has been bandied about since the mid 80s and I think the Champios league was setup to appease the bigger clubs.

Now we are 20 years on since the start of the CL and things may need to be changed again.

In the future you may see a range of different international leagues of varying levels.

At the end of the day it's all progress.

citytillidie

Thats why the Champions League was set up.

They should have kept the format from the very 1st compition.

Only Champions and knockout until the Quater Finals, then two groups of four with the winner of each group facing each other in the Final.

But they changed that format and allowed more clubs in making more money and now the bigger clubs want more.

J Cheever Loophole

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

The term 'European Super league' has been bandied about since the mid 80s and I think the Champios league was setup to appease the bigger clubs.

Now we are 20 years on since the start of the CL and things may need to be changed again.

In the future you may see a range of different international leagues of varying levels.

At the end of the day it's all progress.

The word 'progress' suggests something positive, and I believe such a move would indeed be very positive for the participants, i.e. they would become even more wealthy, with the gap between them and the not so rich becoming even more vast.

As for the other 99.9% of the football world, I would suggest the term 'progress' would ring hollow.

Blazer

That_Guy wrote: »

Newcastle United.... Top club?

:eek::eek:

course we are...didn't we win the intertoto a few years back and some trophy when we were over in Ireland for a few games