Fútbol, Le Foot, Voetbal, ποδόσφαιρο

[Proudtobeblue&white]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/19/super-league-plan-english-clubs-european-football?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1618845771

David Conn, always very readable.

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

[Cherry Blue]

From what I've heard today its been a good reaction to this proposal. Main headlines all day and banners outside grounds show how outraged true football supporters are. Still to hear from the six selfish, greedy b'stards yet who own the English clubs but they have obviously been shocked since according to Sky News their statement was due out last night.

[joey_big_nose]

I think Dowdens statement has killed it to be honest. It can't go ahead if the government says it will do everything it can to block it.

Boris has obviously immediately identified this as a hill to die on which is smart politically. Resonates with all his populist, traditionalist, anti globalisation positioning.

The 6 PL ESL clubs now need to figure out how to row back.

Humiliating.

[rovers11]

I hope this wakes up the powers that be in football. They have let far too many rogue owners take over football clubs who have no care or interest in the clubs they are buying. It's all for commercial gain. We were one of the first clubs to get terrible owners but the playing field has been levelled somewhat because a large proportion of other clubs have now got poor owners too. It's almost become a case of the clubs with the least worst owners are the successful ones now. 

A Super League would be a dream of our owners. Some reports even suggested Venkys thought it was some kind of super league with no relegation. They were soon to find our that wasn't the case. 

I hope for the fans sake that the Super League doesn't go ahead. But at least it shines another light on rogue ownership in football, which has to change. 

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by rovers11

[chaddyrovers]

Klopp has slammed this Super League idea

[chaddyrovers]

The Klopp full SS interview 

 

 

[RoverDom]

He made a valid point its not just these 6 clubs. Uefa and fifa have all been pushing their own competitions with money the mian object. 

For too long the game has been all about the broadcasters and the money and this I'm afraid is not just a toe over the line but a giant leap and I hope it's a catalyst for change 

[Richard Oakley]

36 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

The Klopp full SS interview 

 

 

It's also on Sky Sports news, live

 Sky sports must have changed their mind as it isn't live on sky sports news

Edited April 19, 2021 by Richard Oakley

[Stuart]

Fascinating really.

Some kind of overhaul of the Champions League format is desperately required and long overdue. However, it cannot be a closed shop / franchise. It has to be competitive.

We’ve had this debate several times over the years on here and the best outcome seemed to be a combined ESL but with the lowest placed team from each completing country being relegated and replaced with the PL, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 winners. Perhaps three from each major country and a single season for each of the domestic champions from each of the smaller nations.

That would be enough of an incentive for the top clubs, spreads the cash amongst smaller league winners, and would keep each league included in the European football pyramid. It’s the next logical step.

The idea that these teams can franchise themselves AND still be involved in domestic competition with their teams full of all of the world class players is absurd on it’s face. It would make a mockery of domestic ‘competition’.

If they want to be protected financially then they have to walk away from all other competitions.

The Football League could become a single league authority again in a post-PL, post-money-based world. Bring clubs back to the fans. Fewer televised games, higher crowds, more relatable to genuine football fans.

A pipe dream I guess but Pandora’s box has been opened and these clubs have shown their true colours and their true contempt.

In other news, I expect there were smiles on at least a couple of faces within Rovers management as they read their newspapers and shipped on their coffee.

Oh, and Jose is now available to take over from Mowbray on “Project Journey”.

[Mattyblue]

10 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

The Klopp full SS interview 

 

 

He’s obviously furious that his employers have thrown him under the bus... Henry/Glazers/Abramovich need to be fronting up.

[Richard Oakley]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

He’s obviously furious that his employers have thrown him under the bus... Henry/Glazers/Abramovich need to be fronting up.

I picked up on that. He looked like he was shaking with suppressed rage during the interview.  Two managers have now come out 'first I heard about it was yesterday' - that sounds like a prepared statement that they have to say.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Never been a big fan of Gary Neville, but respect for his comments about Manure, seems their owners have neglected the stadium and surroundings, sounds familiar, describes the owners as scavengers, I'm appalled at what is proposed.

On tweetsville, Nobbers/Wanky's have both tweeted in support of fans, I haven't seen anything from Rovers official account. Not surprised, fans aren't at the forefront of their minds.

[Richard Oakley]

7 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Fascinating really.

Some kind of overhaul of the Champions League format is desperately required and long overdue. However, it cannot be a closed shop / franchise. It has to be competitive.

We’ve had this debate several times over the years on here and the best outcome seemed to be a combined ESL but with the lowest placed team from each completing country being relegated and replaced with the PL, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 winners. Perhaps three from each major country and a single season for each of the domestic champions from each of the smaller nations.

That would be enough of an incentive for the top clubs, spreads the cash amongst smaller league winners, and would keep each league included in the European football pyramid. It’s the next logical step.

The idea that these teams can franchise themselves AND still be involved in domestic competition with their teams full of all of the world class players is absurd on it’s face. It would make a mockery of domestic ‘competition’.

If they want to be protected financially then they have to walk away from all other competitions.

The Football League could become a single league authority again in a post-PL, post-money-based world. Bring clubs back to the fans. Fewer televised games, higher crowds, more relatable to genuine football fans.

A pipe dream I guess but Pandora’s box has been opened and these clubs have shown their true colours and their true contempt.

In other news, I expect there were smiles on at least a couple of faces within Rovers management as they read their newspapers and shipped on their coffee.

Oh, and Jose is now available to take over from Mowbray on “Project Journey”.

Chaddy is against him coming - I think.

The clubs had to phrase their statement in the way they did. let's not kid ourselves, the purpose of the meeting of the 14 tomorrow is to kick the 6 out of the premier league. As Kevin Maguire put it the money that's currently going to 80-90 clubs will in future go to 20. There are a lot of snouts out of joint.

[K-Hod]

4 hours ago, Richard Oakley said:

I've already said. I have no intention of restating previous comments. I see the tone in this thread has now shifted to try to provoke me.

Yeah, rather than you provoking everyone else. Enjoy your break from the site. 
You’ve been trolling everyone for long enough now.

[den]

Neville about the Leeds-Liverpool game. 
 

Next season this game won’t matter to Liverpool. They will automatically play in the super league. They might as well play the kids.

[speeeeeeedie]

I like UEFA's committee member Ceferin's stance. He is advocating a scorched earth policy towards the 12 clubs. Ban them from this season's European competition. Although they've not done anything wrong he wants to ban their players for the Euro's too. He wasn't shy in his disgust for Ed Woodward and Andrea Agnelli either.

Klopp is in an awful position, put their by money men living unconcerned in Boston USA. Fair play for him to come out and say what he did.

We'll have to see what GUardiola says on Wednesday.

Arteta will no doubt look sheepish when asked. His team are 9th in the Prem and don't look anywhere near close to being a top side any time soon. 

 

[Mike E]

My vision for a CL revamp would be to have it return to a pure knockout format between the Champions of every European country's top league. Also invited to compete would be the CL and Europa winners of the previous 20 years.

FYI, Europa would be between the winners of each nation's major cup competitions, rather than league places.

[superniko]

14 minutes ago, Mike E said:

My vision for a CL revamp would be to have it return to a pure knockout format between the Champions of every European country's top league. Also invited to compete would be the CL and Europa winners of the previous 20 years.

FYI, Europa would be between the winners of each nation's major cup competitions, rather than league places.

Exactly this. European Cup as a knockout for the winners of each league. This way it stays fresher. Previous winners is a nice idea too. Just stop all this Top 4 nonsense ideally.

I’d also bring back the Cup Winners Cup (essentially what you’ve suggested as Europa), to put more emphasis on the FA Cup and offer up to 30 odd teams a chance at European Football.

Obviously neither of these structures would generate money to current level let alone ‘super league’ levels so not got a chance of any interest.

I’d also bin off International friendlies while we’re at it. International matches should be the pinnacle of the game but it’s too diluted currently 

 

[Mr. E]

A big, big threat however is if in on paper this Super League is scrapped, but even more "legacy places" are added into the new 36-team Champions League, which pretty much all but ensures a hierarchy of 6 or 8 or so teams that barring a total collapse will always have a place ensured in the group stages. I guess 8 is better than 15 or whatever, but the rot that is the idea behind the Super League most definitely has seeped into the CL, and there is a real threat it will consume it further. But then the obnoxious narrative will be that the top clubs "compromised" due to their "love of the game," when in reality they will have engineered a way to get almost exactly what they were hoping for.

So in a way, yeah, if we can have a guarantee that these 15 clubs will be thrown out of the domestic leagues, the players thrown out of international football (and therefore at least a good chunk of top stars will reconsider their clubs) - give that league over to the plastics as it crashes and burns, while the real football fans and clubs go back to the basics - that would be preferable. But I sincerely doubt something so idealistic would happen.

Either way, "compromise" will be the devil's word.

[RoverDom]

James Milner post match interview "I don't like it, I hope it doesn't happen" 

[Sparks Rover]

If the tories want to guarantee re-election right now they will pass a law just like the germans where the clubs are owned 51% by fans etc.  These greedy bastards have taken the piss for long enough.

Do it right now in retaliation, or at least start the ball rolling and scare the shit out of them.

[JHRover]

Extreme end of the scale but how about the government take steps to nationalise these clubs or expropriate a majority shareholding from their existing ownership on the basis that it is in the public interest to do so?

[ben_the_beast]

Personally I'd be happy to see them go. But if they are going they are to walk away from all domestic competition. It would offer a very unique opportunity to address the imbalance of power in our own pyramid. Level the playing field. For too long the biggest clubs have destroyed the game in this country. 

I hope they all rot in their super league and that it doesn't take off. I'm sure foreign markets would make it sustainable. If they left though English football could become fun again. They can take VAR with them too whilst they're at it.

[dave birch]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56810962

Photo at the top of the article says it all.