Really hope this doesnt go through.  

I get that the big clubs feel they should be able to do as they please to maximise profits. They are billion pound organisations in their own right, and they probably dont like the thought of a body like uefa having so much control. So they want to move to a model closer to what you see in America, where the clubs effectly run the league. 

The trouble with that is obvious. Football in Europe is different. Clubs are not franchises. Every club is enriched with the local communities in which it was formed. Rivalries have been forged through decades and decades of battles. But most importantly Over the hundred plus years of competition, all teams have found their place on a pyramid that allows any team to rise up through the leagues and compete at the pinnacle of the European game, whether that be a meteoric rise, or a gradual one over generations. 

The "fairness" of this pyramid has been skewed with the amount of money there is now at the top of game, but closing the competition to the rest below, blows any concept of fair competition out of the water.

I wish Chelsea were not one of those clubs, but I cant blame them for wanting to jump on board early, given the struggles Roman faced trying to get a seat at the big table 15 years ago, when the old g14 teams were running scared of a new richer challenger to the elite. 

Hopefully this blows over without too much damage, but given the statements already released, it seems this is further along than its ever been, and whilst the threats of expulsion look serious, can uefa, fifa,and the major leagues afford to not have 12 of its biggest clubs, littered with the best players, in any of its competitions. The drop off in revenue from tv deals, and sponsorship, would catastrophic for all levels of the game.

Unfortunately I can see it coming in some capacity, with some sort of compromise, as money is now the be all, and end all of the beautiful game.

 

Where is the money coming from ? clubs are not making much/any money, tv subscriptions have plummeted, no fans buying tickets, huge player salaries to pay, transfer fees through the roof.

It just doesn't add up, until you realise its being propped up by the betting industry with their sponsorship's and advertising, hence the need for more top level global audience games. Remember the majority of the EPL clubs have bookmakers on their shirts.

The sport is a monster nowadays.

4 minutes ago, coco said:

Where is the money coming from ? clubs are not making much/any money, tv subscriptions have plummeted, no fans buying tickets, huge player salaries to pay, transfer fees through the roof.

It just doesn't add up, until you realise its being propped up by the betting industry with their sponsorship's and advertising, hence the need for more top level global audience games. Remember the majority of the EPL clubs have bookmakers on their shirts.

The sport is a monster nowadays.

I would think the TV rights to a Super League would sell for multiple billion GBP.

45 minutes ago, sonic90 said:

All the top teams want this because they know they hold the value, not the organisers or the smaller teams that make up the numbers.

It makes sense to benefit the clubs that provide the value but as a fan growing up watching it in it's current format, it's going to wreck my value system and I might care less about winning the European Super League than a Premier League title.

It will make the Champions League less special when you're playing the same top clubs every year as well. Basically a massive f**k you to the fans who made the game what it is today and making a new product for the new generations to come.

I don't understand the last part. Is Champions League something fans created? If not do you hate it? 

I watched a document of history of the CL. When they decided to launch it created a same uproar than this new thing. It feels anything new is always bad without thinking about it for a second. 

Not saying this Super League is a good thing just don't agree (for example) with Gary Nevilles rant. I heard zero intelligent analysis in it. Just about money and greed. It probably was genuine but he probably also made new friends among the so called common man. What ever that means... 

How does this new league change the current situation? Do we see small clubs in (current) CL or mostly the same clubs year after year? 

I think this is a ploy to gain leverage with UEFA against the CL reforms, but this topic will keep coming up unless something drastic happens to limit the power of money in football.

1 hour ago, timetowaste said:

I still don’t think it’s happening but if it did I would just follow my local team. I have no interest in seeing games with no real rivalry or consequences. 

The local team where you grew up or where you live currently. Or for you would this be the same thing?

Where I grew up it would be southampton.

Where I live at the moment it would be Zabbar St Patrick FC they are in the 3rd tier of the maltese football pyramid

I'd have to pick Zabbar despite the fact that they where yellow and black instead of the logical green would associate with St. Patrick

 

1 hour ago, PloKoon13 said:

Slightly concerning that UEFA are the final bastions against this corruption. 

Kind of funny though the thought that UEFA being against corruption... kind of reminds me of the mafia vs the NYPD a couple of decades or so ago

11 minutes ago, evissy said:

How does this new league change the current situation? Do we see small clubs in (current) CL or mostly the same clubs year after year? 

Absolutely we see small clubs in the CL ...  this new format is for 12 teams ... we currently have 79 ... of which 32 make the group stage ...

The one and only good thing - but that's kind of a huge thing imho - is that you could finally see some top matches from the very best teams without having to rely on luck re draws. I'd love to see some fixtures when some teams are in their prime but they actually never faced each other in the CL. If that couldn't be achieved, or at least the chances increased, within the CL I wouldn't say. This kind of threat is made much too often and the big clubs always were content (for a brief moment) once UEFA found a way to guarantee them more millions.

 

I won't say I wouldn't watch it - but I think it'd be a rather remote/cold affair withouth too many emotions. The CL format already lacks in that department.

Edited April 18, 20215 yr by weetee

Nice to have another competition spurs can't win though....I am finding some positives

Quite shocked frankly to see people (albeit a small minority) defending this. Its yet another blatant money grab and another slap in the face to fans! The shortcomings of fifa, uefa, fa, premier league are irrelevent and a pathetic attempt at diverting attention.The near universal condemnation of this before anything has been officialy announced says it all, this is unpopular, unwelcome and unwanted, any debate is already over! Bin this sh*t idea and heavily penalise the clubs involved, including us.

39 mins until we see an announcement by one of the clubs apparently. 9:30pm

29 minutes ago, Sindre said:

I would think the TV rights to a Super League would sell for multiple billion GBP.

Yes probably because of the bookmakers paying huge sums for advertising.

We could be I  our last ever FA cup game can't have it end by loosing to Leicester in the final. We HAVE to win it.

It will also be nice to win our last ever CL aswel or atleast stop PSG winning it because it will only be them and Bayern winning it for the foreseeable future. But it would be great if we could say that PSG never won a proper champions league

Got to say I'm not in favour of this at all. UEFA and FIFA attempting to pontificate from their moral position is laughable. 

Competition with risk and reward is obvious to us this season, with the carrot of a fourth place so important to us. It's what keeps us on the edge of our seat, it's what gives us hope. Even if this went ahead and we still retained our place in the Premier League, the lure of knock out ties with the European elite would be lost for me.

I don't know enough about the details to be fair, but here it is....I like the current format. Playing Palace at the weekend followed by Porto midweek, knowing a semi final is there for the taking. I enjoy us going to Burnley and the like, mixing our game up.

Just to ask about the creditability of this, no offence meant but Spurs and Arsenal involved, with no Bayern or PSG ? We all know it's a money thing, by all means if they want to tackle UEFA go ahead, but not like this, not now, it is pure greed.

I'm disappointed that our club are involved but not surprised at all.

Don't the CPO own the name 'Chelsea FC'?

I wish Fulham Broadway FC all the best in their new soulless venture

Worth a look. We have been in this same scenario since 1992. For me Champions League is the best tournament there is in club football. This new concept is basically the same as CL but with these differences we know. 90% of the sides that would be in it and do well in the comp already are there. With exception of Tottenham and Arsenal of course. 

Anyway I have no will to go to this new format but the uproar it has created is insane. 

 

1 minute ago, PloKoon13 said:

Don't the CPO own the name 'Chelsea FC'?

I wish Fulham Broadway FC all the best in their new soulless venture

Very good point

4 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

Don't the CPO own the name 'Chelsea FC'?

I wish Fulham Broadway FC all the best in their new soulless venture

Yes that is correct. So technically they could refuse to let the club use the name Chelsea if they strongly disagree with the direction it is going in

9 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

Don't the CPO own the name 'Chelsea FC'?

I wish Fulham Broadway FC all the best in their new soulless venture

Fulham Broadway Blazers or Beavers maybe ??

How would it even work as a league? You can only have one winner of the league. It would be interesting for a season or two, but doubt it garners enough popularity to last. 

Just now, enigma said:

How would it even work as a league? You can only have one winner of the league. It would be interesting for a season or two, but doubt it garners enough popularity to last. 

It will be like American sports and all about post season playoffs. Half the teams will give up in a season when they realise they cannot make playoffs, but without worrying about relegation. At least when teams tank in American sports they can look forward to a good draft pick.

3 minutes ago, enigma said:

How would it even work as a league? You can only have one winner of the league. It would be interesting for a season or two, but doubt it garners enough popularity to last. 

This match against Real Madrid brings back memories of the super cup. The rarity of these match ups is what makes it so special to me. The familiarity of playing these sides regularly would for me lose its appeal.

From Rick Glanvill's 'Chelsea FC - the Official Biography' (2005/06 edition):

Oh, and the other thing which I think was really the cleverest of all, we transferred the name Chelsea Football Club Limited to CPO. And the company that has the license to Chelsea Football Club, which is Chelsea Football Club Ltd, the condition is they have to play all their first-team games at Stamford Bridge.

Fifa and UEFA hardly ones to talk. How many times have they screwed us over?

 

No sympathy for them. That said I hate this idea. Will see. I just started enjoying this season again...