European Super League

[Junius]

Looks like they've finally done it. The much threatened ESL has actually been launched. Though I bet that it'll still never happen (though that's much like how I thought the Qatar World Cup would never go ahead but, well...). I don't think I've seen football fans as united as this before. The plan to create a separate league, without the threat of relegation for a few powerful and already rich clubs, takes the competition, risk, reward and fairness out of football. I'm really pissed off that my club is not only a part of it, but among the ones really pushing for it.

Do you think it will happen?

[Flinn]

Finally, I'd say.

Look, imagine it in another context: you are sitting at your Xmas table with your family, playing Bingo. Suddenly someone come in and start to tell you which are the rules, what you are allowed to do or not do to, what you can drink or eat during the game, and they are also taking a share of any money you put it or you take out from the game. All that they have been doing is claiming that they have the right to rule you.

That's exactly what has happened for years with both Fifa and Uefa (and basically with any other international sport federation, I don't want to even mention FIA ), so no surprise that some of the best clubs ever (Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcellona, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid e Tottenham; feel free to count how many cups they won all together, including Eufa cup) decided to venture that way, it was expected to happen sooner or later in one of the most popular sports, and football being the richest (in Europe ATL), that's not a surprise at all.

Those federations they know they have no rights to rule those teams, and that's why their reaction is disproportionate (they tell about suing those clubs for 60-70 billions, forbidding their team players to go play in national teams, etc); just like Mafia, they rule by fear and they have to be disproportionate in their reactions.

Will they (the teams I mean) actually go down the all way long? I doubt, but they will certainly bargain their surrender for a lot hell of money or more decision power, or both.

We will help football at every level and lead it to occupy its rightful place in the world. The football is the only truly overall sport with more than four billion fans and the liability of us big clubs is to respond to their wishes. "Thus the president of Real Madrid Florentino Perez, first president of the Super League." By bringing together the world's greatest clubs and players to compete throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities, as well as increased financial support for football and the football pyramid as a whole, ”added Joel Glazer, co-chairman of Manchester United and vice-president of the Super League.

Bolding is mine, those are pretty straight declarations, IMO.

P.S I personally don't buy this crap about "they are betraying the values of the Europe and bla bla", it's BS, period. The actual leagues (Champions, Uefa and even national leagues) are divisive by their nature, that's just a plea to mediocrity to justify abuses, a story as old as humanity.

[Sir Adrian]

Actually the federation has EVERY right to rule those teams as those clubs agreed to that when they decided to become affiliated with the federation and take part in competitions organized by the federation and by FIFA and UEFA.

It's a lot like the TWC Terms of Service. Imagine if 12 users join the site, agree to the ToS, participate in site competitions, get lots of rep and medals for it, and suddenly they decide to organize their own private ToS and competitions on the site, and that ToS says they can never be infracted and they get all the rep. How would you, as a HEX, react to that? This is exactly the position UEFA and FIFA are in.

Those clubs did not create this because they love football or as a sign of protest, they did it because they think they'll get more money than in the Champions League. The managers, players and football directors of the clubs involved didn't even know this, neither did the fans.

It's enough to look at how the fans are reacting to this, to see how wrong you are. The Liverpool and Man United fans are rioting (online for the moment, in front of the club in the coming weeks). The Bayern fans warned the club to not take part or else. The Inter fans are cancelling season tickets for next season.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Who want to pay 25 € monthly extra to see some football mercenaries with no connection to region, fans and club shall pay it, if he like ...

I prefer to look national second league than some "superliga" with clubs, which do nothing more than buying good players, which were make big by other clubs, with millions from russian or italian millionaires.

[Sir Adrian]

Man City, Barca, Ateltico and Chelski already pulling out of the super league fearing fan anger.

[Cope]

Who cares? Football was annexed by the super rich years ago. The sport now consists of shady billionaires, grossly overpaid divas, obscene transfer fees, nauseatingly tedious analyses, Master Card adverts and the cynical monetization of "social justice" causes. Even
José Mourinho has lost his spunk.

[Flinn]

Actually the federation has EVERY right to rule those teams as those clubs agreed to that when they decided to become affiliated with the federation and take part in competitions organized by the federation and by FIFA and UEFA.

It's a lot like the TWC Terms of Service. Imagine if 12 users join the site, agree to the ToS, participate in site competitions, get lots of rep and medals for it, and suddenly they decide to organize their own private ToS and competitions on the site, and that ToS says they can never be infracted and they get all the rep. How would you, as a HEX, react to that? This is exactly the position UEFA and FIFA are in.

If they leave TWC and makes their own forum, they are perfectly entitled to do that, and the Hex can't pursue them. You made the wrong example, I'm afraid Here the Federations are prohibiting them to leave under the threatening of serious financial and personal repercussion, tell me then, which rule, moral or legal, prevents me from leaving a Federation I don't want to be part anymore and make a new one? That's all about that, in practical terms.

Those clubs did not create this because they love football or as a sign of protest, they did it because they think they'll get more money than in the Champions League. The managers, players and football directors of the clubs involved didn't even know this, neither did the fans.

Precisely what I said

It's enough to look at how the fans are reacting to this, to see how wrong you are. The Liverpool and Man United fans are rioting (online for the moment, in front of the club in the coming weeks). The Bayern fans warned the club to not take part or else. The Inter fans are cancelling season tickets for next season.

Yes as I said, a plea for mediocrity... or, as the Romans used to say, panem et circenses

Who want to pay 25 € monthly extra to see some football mercenaries with no connection to region, fans and club shall pay it, if he like ...

Neither would I. I actually don't follow football at all, nor any other sport which has big federations (F1, moto GP, etc). I'm discussing this for its merits in general, for the attack to the system with which I agree in general terms. It's a matter of rights, IMO. As someone who has to deal with Mafia, at various level, all my life, I can see the strict relations of how those federations work with how corrupted politics work. Anyone noticed that Paltini has been arrested for corruption? Do we want to talk about how the doping is managed, maybe?

I prefer to look national second league than some "superliga" with clubs, which do nothing more than buying good players, which were make big by other clubs, with millions from russian or italian millionaires.

Isn't this what happens already with the Champions League?

Man City, Barca, Ateltico and Chelski already pulling out of the super league fearing fan anger.

Thanks for coming my way. Fearing anger, precisely my point. The strategy of the Federation works, eh? As old as the humankind.

Who cares? Football was annexed by the super rich years ago. The sport now consists of shady billionaires, grossly overpaid divas, obscene transfer fees, nauseatingly tedious analyses, Master Card adverts and the cynical monetization of "social justice" causes. Even José Mourinho has lost his spunk.

[Sir Adrian]

The3 federations have nothing to do with the fans telling the clubs to not take part in it or else.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

@Flinn: Yeah the Uefa and Fifa has certainly its corruption problem (Blattner...).

But is the Superleague of Real and Barca and Co really the cause to make a stand on that hill?

Wasn't it Real and Barca, which created this system first with insane million wages and fees for players?

If i'm not wrong Real and Barca have 300 million € debts, so they desperately need the Superleague to keep their business going, while every other firm would cut their spending first.

For me its not a fight of the poor honest small businessman against mafia.

Its more like 'Ndrangheta against Cosa nostra about expanding their claims.

[Flinn]

Its more like 'Ndrangheta against Cosa nostra about expanding their claims.

That's a good interpretation, I agree

Anyways, one thing is certainly good about this: for a while Internet people has stopped to be composed of virologists, that's a good news per se, IMO