European Super League

[RedStar]

Yes. it a legitimate question...
If Fifa,Uefa, and the Fa band all players from their tournaments would players be content playing in just the ESL knowing that they will never be able to play in the Euros or the World Cup two of the worlds biggest tournaments.

If you are someone like Harvey Elliott do you stick around?

Can you really see FIFA banning a kid of 18 or 19 from a world cup because he's signed to a club that's run by money grabbing pricks. That's punishing the wrong people, what is a player on a 5 year contract meant to do, miss 2 world cups and the bulk of their international career through no fault of their own.

I'd assume players unions and national federations would not allow that. If they do that, then the whole game can go and rot.

 

[Lippy]

And this is why the these 12 clubs have had enough of UEFA and FIFA who keep proposing more games and less money with no chance of a say. I don't blame the clubs telling them to fuck off we'll organise it.

You could look at it one way - it is these teams who draw money to the competitions. These clubs also have the biggest expenditure and risk but are expected to share money with clubs who have none of that so how is that fair ? You could also look at it as, if that money isn't shared, competition is stifled and the same teams win all the time. That's the single biggest issue here with ESL - there is no competition and, because of that, the domestic leagues are essentially pointless. That's wrong. But, in the same respect why should be lining the pockets of corrupt useless fuckers like UEFA who spend 4x as much paying themselves and jollying it up round the world as they do actually investing in the game ? It's a fair point

 

[Donavan Ried]

Footballers 1st loyalty is to their back pocket. The ESL (if it starts) will draw players without a doubt just because of the money.
The problem now is the only people in favour of it are the 12 owners. With so much opposition from governing bodies, influencers, fans and now national governments, I just don't think this thing has legs.
JPM is not giving these clubs money, its giving them a repayable loan. Sponsors will worry about being affiliated with the ESL brand (at the moment) because it's viewed so negatively.

I agree with all of that. That is why I feel that "Governing bodies" have no alterative but to ban players from there tournaments. They (The Fifa,Ufea etc) have just been bitch slapped full in the face by this ESL proposal, now they either put their tail between there legs and sulk away somewhere to die, or the bodyslam the teams and players that threanten there very existence. It's the old Lion vs theYoung pertender

 

[Holle]

The revolution devours its own.

Fuck them all.

 

[dantes]

Can you really see FIFA banning a kid of 18 or 19 from a world cup because he's signed to a club that's run by money grabbing pricks. That's punishing the wrong people, what is a player on a 5 year contract meant to do, miss 2 world cups and the bulk of their international career through no fault of their own.

I'd assume players unions and national federations would not allow that. If they do that, then the whole game can go and rot.

The contractual terms they have with the club have changed due to this. That's called breach of contract. Similar to when sky raise your bill half way through your contract.

At that point you have a reasonable period of time in which to terminate the contract. Once that time has expired, then you legally agree to the new contract. So it's entirely down to the players if they want to accept it or not. Can have no complaints with the ban when it happens.

 

[Donavan Ried]

Can you really see FIFA banning a kid of 18 or 19 from a world cup because he's signed to a club that's run by money grabbing pricks. That's punishing the wrong people, what is a player on a 5 year contract meant to do, miss 2 world cups and the bulk of their international career through no fault of their own.

I'd assume players unions and national federations would not allow that. If they do that, then the whole game can go and rot.

And which "Players Union" would that be..? the one that represents players now or the one that would represents ESL players?

I don't think that Fifa, etc would have much choice other than to ban players.
I think that the National Federations would accept it as many Countries would be in the same boat

 

[dantes]

That's the reason Dortmund and PSG are hanging back. If they agreed then their extremely expensive strikers would both terminate their contracts and fuck off to the biggest signing on bonuses of all time.

 

[Frogfish]

Haha that's what happens when you try to emulate humans and pipe down because another human asked you to. They'll unsheathe the above dagger and stick it into your back to reopen now the unguarded wound. Well played.

Haha there you go @Lippy : two posts later. The alarm likely woke him up (oops have I misspoke saying 'woke')?

 

[Frogfish]

The leaked email to Liverpool staff:

[article]"Dear Colleagues,

"You will be aware of the announcement published late last night regarding Europe's leading football Clubs coming together to establish a new mid-week competition, the European Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs.

"For quite some time now, Clubs, including our own, have held numerous longstanding concerns about not only the future of European football but also the way football is run by UEFA.

"The global pandemic has also accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model.

"We have therefore joined AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur as Founding Clubs of the Super League.

"It is anticipated that a further three Clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.

"The Super League will be the future of European football and if we want to continue our journey of being a sustainable Club with ambition to grow and continue winning trophies then we should absolutely be part of that process and have a seat at the table rather than outside that group.

"The new annual tournament will provide significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments which will grow in line with league revenues.

"These solidarity payments are expected to be roughly three times what is currently achieved from UEFA competitions.

"One of the core commitments of the European Super League is to vastly increase financial support for the football pyramid.

"After the start of the men’s competition, a corresponding women’s league will also be launched, helping to advance and develop the women’s game.

"We know that this announcement has provoked strong feelings within the game and elsewhere but we believe this decision is in the best long-term interests of Liverpool Football Club.

"Importantly, this is the beginning of the journey and we can now start an engagement process with you, supporters and key stakeholders to help shape this process in the right way.

"There is still much more information to come in due course.

"I will keep you updated as we progress on this journey and discuss further on our Town Hall tomorrow.

"Thank you for your continued support."[/article]

The ESL is definitely going for the throat. A lean, fighting fit Dobermann vs your typical couch pooch.

 

[Woland]

The problem with watching Marine is listening to people arguing about who's got the worst gout and what was the best weekend of trainspotting at Crewe was

 

[MomoWASright]

It’s the coldest football ground on the planet.

 

[tombrown]

I remember in the mid 80s thinking how boring it must be to be a mid table first division team, with no hope of ever winning the league and no chance of getting relegated. Especially in the second half of the season games must become pointless. At least they would have cup competitions to act as a distraction - other than that the odd upset win would be all they would have to cling to.

That is what it will be like for Liverpool in a super league, except the outside chance of relegation & the thrill of avoiding it will be taken away, and the cups are now much devalued.

SO yeah, I'll probably support them, but I doubt with any passion

 

[MomoWASright]

We’re winning the thing.

 

[Woland]

Thirty odd FIFA officials got jailed for fraud a few years ago and pretty much nothing changed. We've still got a dickhead world cup in Qatar to look forward to. This isn't the change I'd want but there needs to be change. I guess this is sorta like brexit. Yes the EU is corrupt as fuck but this little cabal in charge of the UK now is even more corrupt as fuck, so we'd be better off still in despite the flaws.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Everton is saddened and disappointed to see proposals of a breakaway league pushed forward by six clubs.
Six clubs acting entirely in their own interests.
Six clubs tarnishing the reputation of our league and the game.
Six clubs choosing to disrespect every other club with whom the sit around the Premier League table.
At this time of national and international crisis- and a defining period for our game- clubs should be working together collaboratively with the ideals of our game and its supporters uppermost.
Instead, these clubs have been secretly conspiring to break away from a football pyramid that has served them so well.
And in that Pyramid Everton salutes EVERY club, be it Leicester City, Accrington Stanley, Gillingham, Lincoln City, Morecambe, Southend United, Notts County and the rest who have, with their very being, enriched the lives of their supporters throughout the game’s history. And vice versa.
The self-proclaimed Super Six appear intent on disenfranchising supporters across the game – including their own – by putting the very structure that underpins the game we love under threat.
The backlash is understandable and deserved – and has to be listened to.
This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan.
On behalf of everyone associated with Everton, we respectfully ask that the proposals are immediately withdrawn and that the private meetings and subversive practises that have brought our beautiful game to possibly its lowest ever position in terms of trust end now.
Finally we would ask the owners, chairmen, and Board members of the six clubs to remember the privileged position they hold – not only as custodians of their clubs but also custodians of the game. The responsibility they carry should be taken seriously.
We urge them all to consider what they wish their legacy to be.”
Everton FC Board of Directors

 

[dantes]

Weak virtue signalling from a weak club.

 

[dantes]

Their solvency is at stake, the jobs of their employees and the deluded dreams of their supporters. You'd think they might muster some fight and actually do something about it. Nope. Type a statement and send an email. Pathetic and embarrassing.

 

[Lippy]

The problem with watching Marine is listening to people arguing about who's got the worst gout and what was the best weekend of trainspotting at Crewe was

And.........what was it ? Don't leave us hanging..

 

[Woland]

And.........what was it ? Don't leave us hanging..

Obviously the day the pendolino came into service in April 2012. The amount of octogenarians who got their first boners in twenty years was a sight for sore eyes

 

[6TimesaRed]

Double standards from the Premier League.. again..

Approved that T-Shirt yesterday. But the fuckers wouldn't approve a badge for the rest of last season..

Next couple of weeks are going to be interesting..

 

[Lippy]

Everton is saddened and disappointed to see proposals of a breakaway league pushed forward by six clubs.
Six clubs acting entirely in their own interests.
Six clubs tarnishing the reputation of our league and the game.
Six clubs choosing to disrespect every other club with whom the sit around the Premier League table.
At this time of national and international crisis- and a defining period for our game- clubs should be working together collaboratively with the ideals of our game and its supporters uppermost.
Instead, these clubs have been secretly conspiring to break away from a football pyramid that has served them so well.
And in that Pyramid Everton salutes EVERY club, be it Leicester City, Accrington Stanley, Gillingham, Lincoln City, Morecambe, Southend United, Notts County and the rest who have, with their very being, enriched the lives of their supporters throughout the game’s history. And vice versa.
The self-proclaimed Super Six appear intent on disenfranchising supporters across the game – including their own – by putting the very structure that underpins the game we love under threat.
The backlash is understandable and deserved – and has to be listened to.
This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan.
On behalf of everyone associated with Everton, we respectfully ask that the proposals are immediately withdrawn and that the private meetings and subversive practises that have brought our beautiful game to possibly its lowest ever position in terms of trust end now.
Finally we would ask the owners, chairmen, and Board members of the six clubs to remember the privileged position they hold – not only as custodians of their clubs but also custodians of the game. The responsibility they carry should be taken seriously.
We urge them all to consider what they wish their legacy to be.”
Everton FC Board of Directors

Ah Everton. The new moral compass of football. Who weren't one of the main clubs pushing for the Premier League back then. No way, not us, wouldn't do such a thing. It's not all about money and winning for Everton you know. Certainly not the winning. What else do you expect from High Horse FC? Constantly looking down on those constantly above them.

 

[Woland]

Qatar have been building their stadiums with slave labour, but hopefully FIFA insist on players taking the knee before games in solidarity to cancel that out.

Fuck everything

 

[Frogfish]

The level of outrage is surprising to me - the only way you can succeed in football right now is if you get bought by a billionaire and get treated like a plaything.

Earning it? What?

The same ol teams win their domestic leagues for the most part and same goes for European competitions.

Indeed. In the last 10 years (when football's 'equality' changed totally because of the massive investment by super-rich owners) :

Five teams have won the CL over the past 10 seasons: traditional powerhouses Real (4) & Bayern (2) and Barca (2) account for 8 of those 10 with us and Chelsea one apiece.

PL : Since 2005, and Roman's money, only 5 teams have won it : Chelsea (5), United (5), City (4, soon to be 5) with us and Leicester once apiece.

La Liga : Actually since 2005 Barca (10) and Real's (5) duopoly has only been broken once (by Atletico in 2014).

Serie A : Since 2006 only 3 teams have won it, Inter for 5 years straight, followed by a solitary win for Milan before Juventus took over and have won it 9 years on the bounce (Inter will win it this season).

Ligue 1 : Since PSG have been taken over by Qatar they have only lost the league once in the past eight years, to Monaco.

BL (not the same investment but still a lot of money concentrated in a handful of clubs) : Since 2007 only Bayern (11) and Dortmund (2) have won the BL. Bayern highly likely to win it again this season.

Actually with the advent of the ESL (if it happens) it's likely more teams will actually have a chance of winning their national league !

 

[Frogfish]

Surely all the best players in the world would want the bigger wages at the 12 clubs meaning other players having to play for the not so big clubs.

Yeah but didn't I just read (in the LFC statement) that 'trickle down' would be x3 what the PL are paying now? That means a lot more money for everyone from the PL teams to grass roots. If I understood it right.

 

[Fallon]

500k per week wages
Joke FAs with their joke 'fit and proper' tests
Premium home kits that are double the price of the polyester POS they sell for £60-90
Corrupt UEFA
Corrupt FIFA (one of the most profitable NPOs to have ever existed)
V
A
R
Mike fucking Ashley
Neville on a soapbox
In fact the conceited cunts that are, and that populate, Sky in general
Yankee hedgefund cunts
A year of taking knees, which was so successful in combatting racism that clubs will boycott social media for a week to try and teach teenage troglodyte trolls a lesson
The bluenose twats who'll try and use this as the basis of a high ground in any future argument

A few of the lush wonders of the modern game

It's dead isn't it? At least it was a pretty distraction for a while. I feel sorry for the future disenfranchised youth who end up going hard on the smack and playing tide pod roulette to try and fill the void.

 

[tomasjj]

The second uefa opens their gob, just say World cup in quatar. End of discussion. There is no real moral high ground here, although a bit of an elevated knoll for Clubs outside of the proposed league.

 

[Holle]

Qatar have been building their stadiums with slave labour, but hopefully FIFA insist on players taking the knee before games in solidarity to cancel that out.

Fuck everything

They can take my knee.

In their stupid faces.

 

[mike2903]

I am not sure where this whole thing is going to take me.
I am not confident though that I will be able to divest myself of all things Liverpool.
I have been a fan for fifty years now and it it's not something that I can switch on and off like a tap.
That's why I am amazed when I hear other posters saying that if the super league goes ahead they will support a different Premier League.
Taking an interest in a local team I can sort of understand but switching allegiances is not how it works in my view. That's how Chelsea and Man city gets lots of their supporters. Your team is your team and that's it.
I love LFC, I love Liverpool the city and I love the people who live there.
As much as I hate where football is heading, I don't think after half a century of emotional attachment, I will be able to flippantly walk away.

I'm of similar feeling, but regardless I won't be watching the ESL if it happens. I might check the results and smile if we win, that's about it.

I'm going to pick a lower league team or maybe even a new sport. Runcorn Linnets would have been my pick but living in Yorkshire makes it's a bit difficult, I could go for one their league rivals though, Pontefract Collieries FC or Ossett Utd.

A few friends over this way follow rugby league, I even got dragged down to Wembley for one game, I didn't have a clue what was going on but it seemed to go well . Might give that a blast and try and figure out what offside is in that game!

 

[the count]

I remember in the mid 80s thinking how boring it must be to be a mid table first division team, with no hope of ever winning the league and no chance of getting relegated. Especially in the second half of the season games must become pointless. At least they would have cup competitions to act as a distraction - other than that the odd upset win would be all they would have to cling to.

That is what it will be like for Liverpool in a super league, except the outside chance of relegation & the thrill of avoiding it will be taken away, and the cups are now much devalued.

SO yeah, I'll probably support them, but I doubt with any passion

But we haven't been much better than that for much of the last thirty years?

 

[Woland]

Yeah but while I agree that UEFA and FIFA are fucking nobs, I still think klopp got it wrong last night. The match going fans have just removed their banners because of this shit and he's ripping into Gary Neville for god knows what reason. Twenty years ago I'd have gladly shoved the rat faced little nobhead into traffic but his point on this is correct. I think klopp read the room badly.