European Super League Mega Thread

[C0YS]

1st thing that jumps in to my head in response is - money talks and capitalism.

It is not popular to most people over the age of 30 - someone here earlier posted some stats on it - a majority of the younger generation (Fifa generation if you will) like the idea. In 5-10 years time, they will be Season ticket holders etc and they will lap a ESL up.

As you say, it needs to be sustainable and maybe this format is not it - but it will happen in some way, possibly even with UEFA's buy in at some point.

Ít's weird to target a generation of people who illegally stream games and have little disposable income mind. But even those surveys, it's just generally about a Superleague, not about the closed nature of it, and surveys like this, which are 'what if' questions rather than actual possibility, are very inaccurate . Considering the number of YouTubers, who generally represent the zoomers if you like it, who have decided to not cover anything to do with the Superleague I don't really think you'll see as much enthusiasm for the idea as you think. I'm 29 and can say I don't think I know many my age or younger who support the idea (I don't know anyone actually). But what 18-year-olds think I'm not sure, but that's not a demographic that'd give you much money in the short term.

 

[SpursSince1980]

Might have been pinned already : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56796391

I agree with some things Murphy says. But the comment about people not paying to watch the same teams play against each other year after year is an oxymoron. After all, that is exactly what we do in the PL, +/- 15% of teams promoted or relegated. Kinda the same thing. CL isn’t all that different either. By and large you see the likes of Bayern, Dortmund, Juve, PSG, Man City, Liverpool, UTD, Inter, Ajax, Athletico, Barca in it year after year.

Granted though, the major difference is that maybe there is up to a 30% difference of the teams that qualify for it YoY.

Yikes. This whole thing is gonna rip a whole in the time space continuum!

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

I am a little surprised that the clubs have made this jump - without getting all the details - such as the initial 15 squads, as well as the initial 5 squads who would be invited.


Perhaps they did not anticipate such a large blowback. But, given the public, defiant, stance they have taken - I am not sure I see an easy way back.

 

[SpursSince1980]

1. It's basically done. Whether or not the idea is scrapped depends on UEFA compromising, but its looking highly unlikely.
2. "As soon as possible" - some are saying August.
3. Up for debate. Maybe, maybe not.
4. It walls off non-big clubs from the top forever. At least it means West Ham will never reach the top I guess. There is also heavy speculation that it will replace domestic leagues at some point, which is probably part of the plan long term.

Thank you!
Highly unlikely UEFA won’t compromise?

 

[mr ashley]

Hi, friends,

Im very late to this news. And more than a little baffled. Hoping someone might be kind enough to answer/summarize the following:
1. Is this still at the proposal stage or a done deal?
2. When would it come into effect?
3. UEFA threat to ban players from International games... real or posturing?
4. Why are some passionately against this idea? And others for it?

Sorry for asking questions I could probably spend a couple of hours digging about to find answers. But based on 122 pages of this thread in 1.5 days, I’m guessing much has been discussed.
Thx. ???

Hi

1) whilst some aspects appear close to finalised (club officials resigning from uefa positions, JPMorgan announcing finance etc, official club statements), it also appears that the immediate pushback from uefa suggests this still has some distance left to run.
2) seems to be from 2022 although others have said earlier. Unclear
3) again unclear, the legality of both participation in ESL and the potential bans seem to have been suggested but not backed up.
4) can’t answer for anyone other than myself. It appears that the single biggest issue is the lack of relegation. For me it’s just a part of the inevitable grab for money that football has been since the PL and especially the recent versions of the CL. And as we’re in it I’m not ashamed to admit I’m less upset than if we weren’t.

Hope you get some more replies to explain 4) in better detail

 

[thecook]

 

[PLTuck]

Being reported by who? There's been so much shit posted today I don't believe anything without hearing it first hand.

Sky Sports. Don't know the guys name. Don't know the alleged board member's name.

 

[JayB]

I am a little surprised that the clubs have made this jump - without getting all the details - such as the initial 15 squads, as well as the initial 5 squads who would be invited.


Perhaps they did not anticipate such a large blowback. But, given the public, defiant, stance they have taken - I am not sure I see an easy way back.

I think it was really triggered by the pandemic. This has been talked about for years but the clubs were unexpectedly thrust into financial crisis overnight, with Barca and Juve on the brink of insolvency. In swooped JP Morgan with billions of upfront investment to save the day. My hunch is that this is what made the clubs finally take the plunge.

 

[Misfit]

The Champions League having teams other than national champions of the previous season planted this seed. It has grown too big for the pot since, obviously.

 

[pffft]

This is fair enough and a well written approach describing how people may feel.
It’s not how I feel but I’ve never been a season ticket holder or even lived close enough to regularly go to games as much as I have in the last 15years so my experience will no doubt be skewed just as much in the other direction.

But like I challenged some exaggerated reactions to mourinho and the football we played over the last 18months, I do find it hard to align my beliefs with fellow spurs fans who can simply walk away from it all. Even when I can’t watch a game on tv I still find myself checking the score, looking for updates anywhere and then obsessing about the next game/signing/manager.
And I’d say that if you’ve gone as far as creating an account on SC and posting regularly as most do, it’s hard to believe that people can so easily detach themselves from something that has frankly been a huge part of their lives.

I don’t get that POV so in the main I think people will be upset but they won’t leave for good (even if they leave SC).

Personally I’m not yet overly upset with these ESL plans because:
A) I don’t think they’re the final version and
B) I’m glad we are in the plan not outside of it.

But that doesn’t mean I think it’s right to have a competition that automatically excludes teams. If I was a Leicester fan I’d be livid for example.

I am surprised that supporting spurs is as transactional for some as it appears to be. I wasn’t expecting that and I whilst I do think for some it’s a bit dramatic and over the top, I can appreciate that the advent of the PL and CL has priced a lot of fans out of the game, and this may well be the final straw.

For some people, the club they support is a massive part of their identity. For some people it's their everything. For others, it either never was or that feeling has been eroded over time. There have always been people ready to accuse others of "not being proper fans" for not caring as deeply as they do. When I was a much younger man, a defeat to Arsenal would leave me angry for days. Now? Meh, it's only football, there's absolutely nothing important about it at all. Does that make me less of a fan? Maybe. Do I care? Not in the slightest.

We're all different, and we all want different things from the sport and our club. Our relationships with the game and Spurs are all based on different things. When everything that you love about a relationship has been removed, it not only becomes much easier to walk away from that relationship, but it becomes ridiculous to even consider staying in that relationship.

I'm not asking people to understand the reasons why people are ready to walk away. I know that some people, particularly the younger ones, will not be able to understand no matter how it is explained to them. I am simply asking them to accept that other people have a different, perfectly valid viewpoint, and have very legitimate reasons for walking away... and to stop telling them that they are not going to follow through.

You (not you personally, just a common "you") might not understand, and that's fine. You don't have to understand. Not everything is about you.

 

[spids]

Given the strength and unity of the opposition from the domestic leagues, UEFA, FIFA and even governments, I think this will come to a head very, very quickly. Either they back track quickly and accept the CL format, or they are kicked out of their respective domestic leagues and would have to form a super league for weekends. Then players will have to decide if they want to give up representing their countries. UEFA are talking about kicking the clubs out of this seasons CL (Chelsea, Man City and Real Madrid, which I think makes PSG and Poch champions of Europe?) and Europa League (Man U and Arsenal).

 

[wrd]

A board member from one of the PL 6 is being reported by sky as saying;

1. They expected a fallout and don't particularly care.
2. "The wider good of the game is of secondary concern"
3. The owners would secretly be delighted in FIFA banned their players from internationals.
4. Boards are split among the 6.
5. One owner of the 6 has said they would still go ahead with ESL even if kicked out of PL
6. They will prioritise the midweek games, fielding weakened teams in the PL if allowed to stay in it.

Why does this sound like some villain that only the terrible writers at sky sports could invent

 

[C0YS]

I agree with some things Murphy says. But the comment about people not paying to watch the same teams play against each other year after year is an oxymoron. After all, that is exactly what we do in the PL, +/- 15% of teams promoted or relegated. Kinda the same thing. CL isn’t all that different either. By and large you see the likes of Bayern, Dortmund, Juve, PSG, Man City, Liverpool, UTD, Inter, Ajax, Athletico, Barca in it year after year.

Granted though, the major difference is that maybe there is up to a 30% difference of the teams that qualify for it YoY.

Yikes. This whole thing is gonna rip a whole in the time space continuum!

you need to keep in mind if the big 6 clubs stay in the PL, that will happen twice over, same teams year on year, minimum of 4 games against at least two PL clubs, and I think it would be a real drag.

Then if they do leave the PL, they might turn the super league into the main league, and have a cup competition along side it, and ultimately you fundamentally lose the excitement of the CL, as CL just replaces the FA cup. So I think entertainment-wise you lose out. I guess the plus is you will see the best players play more regularly against each other, but I think what's special about that is it isn't every week, once it's every week, the expectation will just create a new normal and nothing special would be left.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

When it comes to racism in football, they couldn't give a fuck. Handing out 10 game bans for footballers guilty of racially abusing players. 3 game bans for those who fight back against it.

But when they look set to miss out financially, it's war.

Bastards.

Or as it's come commonly known: assault

Assault?

How about fuck & off?

If a player decides to fight back after being racially abused, he should be praised no end & applauded for not standing for such despicable and unforgivable behaviour.

Racists are ****s & there's nothing I love more than when videos appear on here with players dishing out some cold hard justice by kicking them into next week.

 

[SpursSince1980]

Hi

1) whilst some aspects appear close to finalised (club officials resigning from uefa positions, JPMorgan announcing finance etc, official club statements), it also appears that the immediate pushback from uefa suggests this still has some distance left to run.
2) seems to be from 2022 although others have said earlier. Unclear
3) again unclear, the legality of both participation in ESL and the potential bans seem to have been suggested but not backed up.
4) can’t answer for anyone other than myself. It appears that the single biggest issue is the lack of relegation. For me it’s just a part of the inevitable grab for money that football has been since the PL and especially the recent versions of the CL. And as we’re in it I’m not ashamed to admit I’m less upset than if we weren’t.

Hope you get some more replies to explain 4) in better detail

Thank you kindly for taking the time. Hugely appreciated.

This model feels similar to US Sports pro league franchise approach. EG, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL.... all of them are in effect ‘super leagues’, with no threat of relegation. And the only way in, is to either buy an existing team, or make the case for a new team/franchise to join. The latter one being really hard to pull off.

 

[Donki]

The Champions League having teams other than national champions of the previous season planted this seed. It has grown too big for the pot since, obviously.

Cut down the CL to what it was supposed to be and revamp the UEFA cup, that should be the plan.

 

[SpursSince1980]

you need to keep in mind if the big 6 clubs stay in the PL, that will happen twice over, same teams year on year, minimum of 4 games against at least two PL clubs, and I think it would be a real drag.

Then if they do leave the PL, they might turn the super league into the main league, and have a cup competition along side it, and ultimately you fundamentally lose the excitement of the CL, as CL just replaces the FA cup. So I think entertainment-wise you lose out. I guess the plus is you will see the best players play more regularly against each other, but I think what's special about that is it isn't every week, once it's every week, the expectation will just create a new normal and nothing special would be left.

Yea, see what you mean.

 

[mark87]

The Champions League having teams other than national champions of the previous season planted this seed. It has grown too big for the pot since, obviously.

Ahh Misfit, haven't seen you post in ages

 

[Pistols At Dawn]

The ESL is a disgrace, no matter which team we're talking about, but it's particularly humiliating when it's a club that was booted from the Europa League by Croatian minnows, is hard-pressed to finish in the top-6 this year (top-4 always having been a joke), and lose repeatedly to teams in the bottom-half of the Premiership.

And we consider ourselves "elite"!!?!? I'm hanging my head.

 

[JayB]

Given the strength and unity of the opposition from the domestic leagues, UEFA, FIFA and even governments, I think this will come to a head very, very quickly. Either they back track quickly and accept the CL format, or they are kicked out of their respective domestic leagues and would have to form a super league for weekends. Then players will have to decide if they want to give up representing their countries. UEFA are talking about kicking the clubs out of this seasons CL (Chelsea, Man City and Real Madrid, which I think makes PSG and Poch champions of Europe?) and Europa League (Man U and Arsenal).

I’d be absolutely shocked if the PL kicked the Super League clubs out. I’ve seen claims that 80% of the global television audience is drawn by the top six, and you can bet that broadcasters would see the banishment of the biggest brands as a material breach of contract and would immediately move to get out of their current deals. The other 14 teams all have players signed onto massive contracts and can’t just allow their main source of revenue to crater overnight. They won’t drop the axe on their own heads.