Time for a European Superleague?

A few years back I’d of absolutely hated this idea, but the last few years I’ve become more and more convinced it’s the way forward. I originally wanted a promotion/ relegation system, but that would only encourage big spending to reach the new promised land.

The authorities have no real interest or intent in trying to have any kind of level playing field.

Some on here have mocked the excitement around trying to challenge for 7th this season, well what else are we playing for?

The premier league is ok, let’s not over do it because of yesterday. We get more coverage being in it, our ground improves and the players we watch are of a better standard. But I dread playing the top six, especially the top two. It’s horrible watching your team being used as human cones whilst commentators lavish praise on the expensive superstars people have tuned in to watch.

Let them all go. Let them all pay for a space in a super league. Sky and BT will pump their money into it and everyone else will be left in their national leagues on a level playing field.

Have extremely strict spending rules, make it impossible for owners to purely buy titles. Could be a great way to introduce high percentage HG quotas that actually mean something.

Maybe fans from the other clubs should start making a statement, boycotting the games against the big six would send a message. We’re al bored of watching one sided football matches, go and make a ‘who’s got the most money league’ somewhere else.

 

To be honest though it's only city and Liverpool that are a level above.

We've completed well against Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd. And Spurs aside, the other 3 need a lot of work to build so I think the gap to them and the rest will shorten this year.

I can see Wolves, Everton and Leicester all with the potential to upset the top 6 stalemate next year.

For us, depends on who we keep and who goes, but a stronger first 11 and a top 10 place would make me pretty happy.

 

Overall I agree, and not just because of yesterday. However my only concern would be that any teams not in a Euro League might lose the loadsamoney that we currently survive on. Would the Pozzos and other owners continue to commit to a second tier league? Would the league get any TV money (or coverage for that matter). Would the league attract anyone other than journeyman British players?

Tbh I've not fully thought it through so happy to have my concerns allayed by more considered responses!

 

What is the point of our loadsamoney though? It just gets all consumed by deeply average players and their agents. We lose a bucket load if we don’t sell someone for 30m a season. Perhaps a new set up would result in players having to be more realistic in their salaries while the genuine superstars earn their 500k a week in megaleague.

Would be interesting to see if mega league got dull and the TV companies pulled the plug. Can’t see it though. They will be games hosted all over the world but I’d never watch it.

 

The super league would go down a path most football fans dislike the idea of. Games would get played all over the world , with both teams away from home. I wouldn’t bet against an eventual franchise system, essentially people buying a space in the league.

As for the rest of us, we’d run with less money, players get paid less and this would trickle down the leagues. But there would still be enough to make them professionals, and only the absolute elite would get taken to the superleague, just like it is now.

But each season any team could have success, it would be like the championship. And there could still be a Europa league competition for all teams that win their leagues and cups minus the superleague teams.

 

Neither team can win the league but without relegation it’s a midtable stroll of PSG v Man City from Bangkok, and it’s LIVE.

Sounds amazing.

 

Yep, two nothing teams ****ed off to a league to play with each other. Absolute masturbation fest.

The rest of us playing the real football without all the ********. Bet it would send attendance figures up as well.

Bring it on.

 

I believe the discussion about this being reality included no relegation to protect all competing clubs status. The people making these decisions can’t really understand football can they?

 

Quite. The amusing thing is AC Milan always seem to think they have a god given non relegation spot despite the fact they have been utterly woeful for over a decade.

The first annuls of Super League history:

AC Milan. 20th, 20th, 20th, 19th, 2oth.

Golden times that 19th spot.

 

I think the issue would be the money. All the cash would exit the prem in favour of the superleague. The prem would effectively become that champ.

 

Americans... World series franchise with likes of Barcelona Bulls, Manchester Monarchs and Liverpool Liver Birds

 

To be fair I like it.

However we dont want Wolves or Everton winning the league, so its a no from me.

 

But wages just go down. All our money goes to players anyway, and we lose money without sales, so whats the point for the club? Less money, less wages, same situation?

 

I don't see it happening because the big clubs do not want it.

I can see a smaller Premier League though, with more European competition. They are going to introduce a new European competition in 2024, with a working title of Europa League 2. This would mean the Europa League would go reduce from 48 to 32 clubs with those 16 plus an additional 16 going into the new tournament.

I can see the top 10 will be European places, then the rest will be battling to stay up.

The elite clubs still want domestic competition, not just European matches. You want the European games to be special, not mundane or routine.

 

I agree and have been moaning on about this sort of thing for a while. I too used to be very against the idea of a breakaway super league but now would be happy to lose some of them.

I like your idea of a boycott or some joint action against the financial inequity. Not sure if it would work but I like the idea of anything that raises the profile of the issues and shows not everyone thinks the Premier League is as great as we are repeatedly told it is. However, I think Maninblack makes a valid point of what would be in it for the Pozzo’s with significantly reduced revenue.

 

I guess it’s better for the big teams to smash the rest of us out of sight week in week out and then it’s billed as the giants meeting when they play Barcelona or Real Madrid who basically do the same thing in Spain.

The footballing equivalent as that wilder fight last night, the top boxers pummel also rans until two of them meet. And of course these super fights mean mega money.

 

I’d say at the moment it’s only City. Liverpool have had a great season but have nowhere near the depth of quality that City have and I’m not sure they can replicate 97 points next season without massive investment . However, i think it’s more than just about who is a level above at this moment in time. Any country or other billionaire etc could buy any club and do similar. It’s City now but if Newcastle get bought by a rich country it might be them in the future attracting Guardiola et al in the future.

I read some article that Qatar considered they were attracting negative publicity through PSGs repeated lack of progress in the champions league. Maybe if they are bored of PSG they could buy Newcastle or Arsenal or whoever and join the premier league fun so we can have Abu Dhabi United Group vs. Qatar Sports Investments and truly find out which is the best Middle East state at running a football club.

 

European games are already routine to be honest. The Champions League group stage is utterly boring watching the big clubs get through to round of 16. The knockout games are good but the first half is a procession.

 

I would have absolutely no interest in watching a European super league. I am one of the few who missed both champions league semi finals (granted they were apparently compelling viewing).

If am honest, I would only have an interest in watching Watford for 90 minutes. Other live games would not hold my interest long enough to stay tuned. Highlights would be as far as I would go.

I might watch a Barcelona game to see Messi.

It may not be that attractive a product to market. Ajax v Porto, Ath Madrid v Inter Milan. Meh.

 

I'm all for City and the rest of the top 6 jogging off to a Super League.

Yes there would be a drop in TV revenue and clubs would have to cut their cloth accordingly, but football here would become a whole lot more interesting for the traditional local fan base.

There would still be a lot of decent size clubs left: Wet Spam, Newcastle, Everton, Lesta, Wolves... some biggies from the championship Villa, West Bromwich, Norwich, Weeds, Wednesday, Derby... why not merge with the SPL that would add some spice.

What is great about the championship is how competitive it is, anyone can beat anyone on any day. The prem would become that.

With less money maybe clubs would put more effort into the cups? The FA cup could become a proper thing again.

With less overseas tv demand footie could go back to its proper time of 3pm on a Saturday.

 

Would be good if the man child Guardiola would actually take on an assignment where everything wasn't massively loaded in his favour. He loves fair football so much though does Pep.

 

If the superleague does happen one thing that must be cast iron is that there is no way back. If your stupid global league is a flop then it is bottom of pyramid for you.

 

I would rather have a salary cap

Also a transfer spend cap

A maximum no. Of players allowed for each club including those on loan

Agents fees capped

Plus teams beginning with a 'W' and ending in a 'D' get a 7 goal start in all cup games

 

To me watching football is all about going to a live game and 98% of the time that means Watford. Perhaps it’s my age but when I put a game on TV I often find my attention drifting away from it - usually to read or post comments on here.

 

West Ham United approve of this idea.

 

I suspect we would struggle in this new Champo Plus league.

The tv money would be hugely reduced which would favour large attendance clubs. The ‘elite rejects’ like Del & Capoue would go the West Hams, as would the bright young prospects wanting a showcase for the elite clubs.

For us, it would be a pre Pozzo Champo experience & Pozzo would move on.

 

May need a geographical criteria added... Only Hertfordshire clubs are eligible

 

It would probably make the domestic game more interesting, but would it survive as the TV money would probably switch to the Super League.

 

Wasn't one of the insane ideas floated by the Dildo Brothers and Knickers Girl that the club was to renamed "London FC" or sum such bollox?

 

Something needs to be done but I'm not sure either a European league or financial caps will work.

 

All the money is in the European leagues so a standard (but high) salary cap enforced by UEFA would work? Belgian league etc would be unaffected. Nor would Watford. Only a handful of obscenely rich clubs would need to make adjustments.

 

Setting the salary cap at 250m euro for first team squad would allow better run big clubs like Liverpool and Spurs to operate unhindered but would hammer the practices of 8 clubs (Barca, Madrid, Bayern, Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Juventus, PSG).

A cap would mean that Man Utd are still free to spend 500k per week on Sanchez but must pay 4 other players buttons to balance it.

 

So why would they vote for such changes when their pulling power is so strong?

The issue is that each individual league in every European country has become so indoctrinated to ready available funds that the whole thing is broken. It’s seeped into The Championship and will no doubt follow south in this country. It’s the same in Europe. The top clubs hold all the power and are happy as it is. The rich get rich, the poor get poorer. And the minute the poor complain, threaten a breakaway...

All the top football associations in Europe will be held to ransom in the same way. I despise the idea of a breakaway. But some authority somewhere has to be able to get a handle on it.

 

Would the football authorities be remotely capable of enforcing it?

Watch out for free company Ferraris & more abstruse dodges.

Mind you, Gino might just be CL level at that caper.