European 'Super' League

[Kankurette]

Echoed by this footballing man in a white and blue top:
https://talksport.com/football/868307/patrick-bamford-leeds-liverpool-european-super-league-reaction-racism/

He's right and he should say it.

[dr beat]

Just came across this from a couple of weeks ago.  Hmm.  No apologies this time for linking to the Guardian...https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/08/bigger-more-diverse-european-super-league-can-enrich-football-philipp-lahm

The brand names aren't Facebook, Amazon and Google, but Real, Juventus, PSG, Arsenal, Barça, Bayern, City and United. Through digitisation and globalisation, they have developed worldwide communities. Fans of Bayern can be found just as easily in Shanghai as in Oberpfaffenhofen. Because their markets have been rapidly expanding for several years, these top brands have turned into monopolies of sorts, a status that will only become more entrenched in the years to come. Five of the eight teams in this year's Champions League quarter-finals come from England and Germany, the two strongest leagues financially.

This brings us to an issue that also needs attention: who is allowed to participate? In recent years, the biggest teams have voiced a desire to create a super league of the 16 to 20 strongest clubs in Europe. Resistance to that idea is born out of concerns that it would establish a football elite. On the other hand, though, clubs and players would like to compete with their equals. The arrival of the Bundesliga in 1963 was accompanied by similar concerns, but it became a great success.

Just as I am a fan (leaving aside the pandemic for a moment) of the concept behind holding the European Championship in 12 European cities, I quite like the cosmopolitan idea underpinning a European league. At the moment, clubs from only five or six countries would participate – namely the established teams from Madrid, Manchester, Munich, Paris and London. But just as players from Istanbul, Warsaw and Bratislava get their shot in the Euros, would it not be better to include teams from Bruges, St Petersburg, Athens, Copenhagen and Prague in a European league? Investors are certainly interested in such attractive locations. It should also not be forgotten that the beginnings of the European Union came in the 1950s with just six countries.

Biggest change of tune since Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die theme?

[amateur]

This Chelsea Brighton game.

No, this one.

It's not very good.

[phantom_power]

"Nothing to do with the ESL, he was going to leave anyway, honest" is the official line. Can't even fall on his sword without trying a con.

Imagine what it must be like for him, the Glazers, Agnelli, Perez and the rest, suddenly learning that everyone in the world despises them. Imagine realising that.

I read that he resigned because he wasn't informed about the plans. It might be that for once he isn't the biggest cunt in a particular story

[finnquark]

Doesn't matter that City have pulled out, think I'll only watch Alty nowadays.

You can have a pint and stand on the Golf Road end (well, when we're allowed back in).

Can't drink in the stands now we're in the conference, certainly not on the Catax Golf Road End

[kalowski]

Can't drink in the stands now we're in the conference, certainly not on the Catax Golf Road End

Ah, bollock, of course. You're right.

[gilbertharding]

Shame the dream is over.

Over on twitter all the talk is of the variously imaginative punishments UEFA definitely won't hand out to the Superleague wankers, ie deduct 1000 points, ban them from all competitions for 10 years, relegate them to the conference, burn down the stadiums. Etc etc.

[jobotic]

There will be no consequences apart from maybe more money being chucked at them

[The Culture Bunker]

And now Man United have officially withdrawn from the Super League.

I'm a fan of 35 years standing, and even I'd approve of a lengthy ban from European competition and a 20 point PL deduction for next season.

[Mobius]

Can the clubs involved in this claim it was just bantz?

[Ferris]

There will be no consequences apart from maybe more money being chucked at them

Bang on the money. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves.

If a single punitive action is taken (beyond some symbolic strongly worded letters etc) I'll eat several hats.

[Thursday]

Spurs currently still in to be last one-standing, but they'll probably bottle it again.

(I've stolen this joke, it's too good to be one of mine)

[Huxleys Babkins]

Can the clubs involved in this claim it was just bantz?

"First of all, does anyone remember Dapper Laughs?"

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Worked out as planned. They have completed the sounding board while keeping fans onside and softening UEFA up for further concessions.

But these are the marked clubs now. They are nothing. They are ghost clubs. They haven't and won't 'win' any domestic league again. They should be booed and harried everywhere.

[chveik]

Worked out as planned.

quite the opposite actually

[ersatz99]

It's George Costanza's trick.

EPL : "why's Manchester City here"

[DrGreggles]

Worked out as planned. They have completed the sounding board while keeping fans onside and softening UEFA up for further concessions.

Not sure the fans are back onside. Not yet anyway.

[Ferris]

Worked out as planned. They have completed the sounding board while keeping fans onside and softening UEFA up for further concessions.

Yeah agree.

But these are the marked clubs now. They are nothing. They are ghost clubs. They haven't and won't 'win' any domestic league again.

They will continue to win every domestic competition and trophy in perpetuity, and you will all continue to shut up and like it.

They should be booed and harried everywhere.

More so than usual? You're talking about man u and Chelsea here.

[Ferris]

Not sure the fans are back onside. Not yet anyway.

Yeah tears on the streets of Quezon City tonight. Can they ever forgive?

[sevendaughters]

This was definitely more than just some negotiating strategy with the Champions League. It may be that they get what they want because UEFA/FIFA are so craven and soft that they'll go all Peter Ridsdale negotiating with Seth Johnson, but the TSL broke cover, put names to documents, attempted to prime the press and tip off key leakers, even started Twitter bots disinfoing in their favour, and it hurricaned against them.

[mothman]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56823501

They think it's all over - is it, now?

[EOLAN]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56823501

They think it's all over - is it, now?

Any word on how the other six clubs have reacted so far?

[Thursday]

It's all a bit mundane everyone backing down so quickly, thought there'd at least be a bit of a fight before we got there. So it's really a case of them thinking they'd do this without much fuss, but as it turns out people were very angry. I credited them with enough insight to know how people would react but had decided they didn't care and it would be worth it. This is just spineless really.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

in what order did they withdraw? at least there can be a league table made up of that

[daf]

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, who was involved in the Super League discussions, has announced . . .

"Oh, God. Oh, Jesus Chrrrrriiiiiiist!!!"

[Kankurette]

"Oh, God. Oh, Jesus Chrrrrriiiiiiist!!!"

Alex Ferguson leads the Man United squad in a jolly folk song.

[checkoutgirl]

There will be no consequences apart from maybe more money being chucked at them

If they were heavily sanctioned wouldn't that motivate them more to plot their escape again. Like fining Germany billions of quid and not allowing them to do certain things after world war 1. That'll teach 'em and definitely won't piss them off and encourage them to start another world war with better guns and more dead bodies.

[Mobius]

The last 48 hours have been the most exciting thing to happen in football for ages. I'm actually gonna miss the ESL.

[DrGreggles]

Just by signing the deal those 6 clubs have breached the rules of the Premier League and UEFA, so you'd expect some kind of punishment.
But relegating them or banning them from Europe would diminish both 'products', so neither will do that.
I bet they get away with fines.

[Huxleys Babkins]

UEFA need to kill the Champions and Europa Leagues and bring back the European, Cup Winners and Intertoto Cups. End of Easy Street, lads. You earn your keep now.