European Super League

[StreetFight3r]

A group of the world’s richest soccer clubs, including Manchester United and Real Madrid, announced plans for a European breakaway league starting in August, a project that could herald the sport’s biggest shakeup in decades and make elite teams even wealthier.

The marquee names -- six from England, three from Italy and three from Spain have signed up so far -- would play each other midweek as an alternative to the prestigious UEFA Champions League, according to a statement early Monday. In addition to what will be 15 permanent teams, another five will qualify each year for the so-called Super League.

Establishing a new elite tournament in Europe would effectively end the Champions League’s decades-long reign as the world’s premier club contest, and revolutionize the sport’s structure. It would also funnel billions of dollars into the game’s upper echelons, following a year in which revenue has dropped as matches take place in largely empty stadiums. The 15 founding teams would share an upfront payment of 3.5 billion euros ($4.2 billion).

Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez will be chairman of the group with Juve’s Andrea Agnelli and Manchester United’s Joel Glazer as vice-chairs.

“We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world,” Perez said in the statement. “Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”

By creating a system in which five places a year are available through a qualification process, the organizers are seeking to head off criticism that the competition is closed -- as with the National Football League in the U.S. and the National Basketball Association in North America. The group also pledged “solidarity payments” to European soccer of more than 10 billion euros.

But even before the plans were announced, national leagues from England, Spain and Italy, plus the sport’s governing body in Europe, hit back at what they called a “cynical project” founded on self-interest. In addition to considering legal action, their joint statement raised the prospect of throwing teams out of their domestic leagues.

Under the new project, any club would remain in its domestic league but pull out of the Champions League.

FIFA, the global governing body and organizer of the World Cup, weighed in last week, saying it would ban players who took part in the breakaway. That could potentially throw next year’s World Cup in Qatar into chaos.

Political heavyweights also chimed in, with leaders from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to former Italian Premier Enrico Letta voicing their concern. French President Emmanuel Macron praised French clubs for not signing up so far.

The proposed league also comes as UEFA, the European ruling body, tries to push through a controversial program of its own this week. It wants to expand its tournament to 36 teams, giving each team 10 pre-knockout group matches compared to six now, an increase that irked some teams complaining the season already has too many games.

The Super League’s plans:

• An August start with clubs in two groups of 10, playing home and away matches
• The top three in each group automatically qualify for the quarter finals.
• Teams finishing fourth and fifth will compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions.
• A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.
• A women’s league will be also be launched “as soon as is practicable.”

Proponents argue the new Super League would create a more exciting competition because the top teams would play each other more often. It would also be lucrative for them, with permanent membership removing the uncertainty of the Champions League, whose teams must qualify annually or risk losing broadcasting and sponsorship revenue.

But the idea of creating a competition that removes the drama of a smaller team such as four-time champion Ajax winning the trophy or of a bigger club having to qualify in the first place, has angered supporter groups and former players.

Fans of Chelsea, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, highlighted what they regard as the greed within soccer.

Gary Neville, who won eight Premier League titles as a Manchester United player and now works for Sky Sports, said he was “absolutely disgusted” with the move. The idea that teams could take part in a league and never be relegated from it was, he said, an “absolute disgrace.”

Edited April 19, 2021 by StreetFight3r

[StreetFight3r]

 

 

[kobayashiGT]

Meaning if Arsenal is last on the table on super league, the next season first match, they will still be on the top. Because it will start will A first. hahahahah

[Jamesc]

The greed within soccer?

Then why Chelsea fans so happy Roman pump in millions to buy players like Pulisic Ziyech Werner Havertz? Just play with Tammy lah.

When Man U borrow 500 million? Just live within your means lah

Why Man City spend 1 billion and cannot even win the CL?

Just spend within your means like Liverpool lah.

All the ex players that ask for big salaries now talking about greed within football?

Roy Keane can just STFU. Why he join Man Utd? Just stay at Forest lah.

If players don't ask for high wages then clubs no need to get more money to sign them.

Bloody hypocrites.

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Jamesc

[Jamesc]

The greed within soccer?

Mo Salah wants a pay rise

Gini wants a pay rise

Haaland wants 600,000 pw

How to pay them all if the clubs don't get more money?

Why Roy Keane moved to Man Utd from Forest?

More money lah.

Now all suddenly forgot.

Man City no money you think Pep will join?

Arsenal no money you think Auba will join?

Spurs no money you think Jose will join?

Chelsea no money you think Tuchel will join?

 

[Jamesc]

I support ESL

[Jamesc]

GARY NEVILLE USES BILL SHANKLY’S WORDS TO SHAME LIVERPOOL FOR SIGNING UP TO THE SUPER LEAGUE

Why shame Liverpool?

Man Utd also agreed to join right?

Tell your own clubs not to join lah.

Gary is a plick.

Nob head

[Xers007]

richer team gets richer and the poorer team can never catch up the ever increasing record breaking transfer fees? Pity the players in these rich team to have to play more games per season as well.. maybe they should start a league for their B team to earn their riches...

[Jamesc]

Any player that don't want to play in the ESL can leave their club.

[Jamesc]

When the 20 best clubs in Europe join ESL

Champions League will be Everton playing West Ham and Leicester in Europe.

You will wake up at 3 am to watch them?

[Jamesc]

A bit late Pool already out lah

Can only kick out Chelsea and Man City.

‘Angry’ UEFA officials want ESL clubs axed from Europe; warn Liverpool

There is understood to be a ‘genuine want’ from inside UEFA to kick the 12 founding members of a controversial European Super League out of all UEFA club competitions immediately, according to reports.

 

[Jamesc]

Of course Liverpool is greedy they sold Coutinho for 150 million.

If not greedy maybe 20 million can already.

I more greedy I wanted 200 million.

[Jamesc]

Champions League was a pure knock out competition.

So a small team like Nottingham Forest or a Derby County can knock out a big team.

Now the big teams were not happy and UEFA introduced the group stage when over the course of 6 games they hope the big teams will knock out the smaller teams.

Its all greed but UEFA also wanted the bigger teams to progress because of money.

Money to UEFA.

[Jamesc]

Spartak also want to join.

Russian Premier League club Spartak have posted a message on Twitter telling fans of Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and the rest of the clubs in the European Super League to support them if they are looking for a new team.

[Jamesc]

UEFA want to strip Liverpool of Champions League titles for Super League involvement – report

Then also strip Chelsea and Man Utd as well as Madrid, Barca, Juve.

Arsenal, Spurs and Man City nothing to strip.

[Karoon]

Can Geylang join?

[Beregond]

i support chelsea, but i not gonna support this.

all football fan of these clubs must make your feeling known

[Count-Bracula]

Haiz! Miss those days when English football league shown for free every Sunday and top players only earn what £5-£20 per game/week?

ESL my arse.

Go go Newcastle! 😂