European giants plotting revamped Champions League to stop teams like Leicester gatecrashing the party

[Thracian]

Absolutely stinks of corruption.

Nothing new there.

It's all about money, greed and selfishness.

The spirit of sport being pulled through a cesspit.

It there's even a sniff of this happening, fans should get together to plan and organise all kinds of protest.

Including exploring aspects concerning monopoly cartels and fair trade.

If sport shows it can't run itself fairly then the law should see they do.

It's probably expecting too much but maybe the players themselves could fly the flag for fairness by refusing to join or remain at any top club proposing or supporting such a proposal.

[Loggy88]

If this happened I'd seriously consider giving up following football completely. It's disgusting if this happens. It will take away the competing element away from the premier league. Whose going to be motivated if you know you can't make the biggest competition in domestic football? Ludicrous idea which hopefully will not happen.

[Buzzell]

So because the likes of Man Utd and Milan have all of a suddern turned shit and now struggle to qualify for the Champions League, they think they should be 'automatically' picked to play in the competition because they earn a lot as a club?

Surely this rule won't come into play.

[EverybodyDannsNow]

The thought of this alone makes me feel sick. It would be the death of football.

[Fox Ulike]

If the ‘big clubs’ want a European super-dooper League based on wealth then they’re welcome to go.  But if it was gonna happen, it would have happened by now.

 

European fixtures are interesting only because of their rarity value. I think that the TV public would quickly lose interest in a European League if it was every week.  This is because no-one thinks of themselves as European, but rather as English, French or German.  

 

The big clubs need the Premiership more than they like to admit.

[Webbo]

I don't know why people are saying it'll never happen, it seems quite likely to me. We've already seen how teams knocked out of the champions league get a place in the Europa league just so the big clubs could continue to make money.

Those talking about a breakaway should remember that the big clubs are the reason why the PL sells all around the world. Without them the TV money will fall off a cliff. The best we can hope for is the big clubs form their own super league and it dies on it's arse.

[Beliall]

They're just pissed because most neutrals will be watching leicester next year rather than the usual

[Finnaldo]

I don't know why people are saying it'll never happen, it seems quite likely to me. We've already seen how teams knocked out of the champions league get a place in the Europa league just so the big clubs could continue to make money.

Those talking about a breakaway should remember that the big clubs are the reason why the PL sells all around the world. Without them the TV money will fall off a cliff. The best we can hope for is the big clubs form their own super league and it dies on it's arse.

 

 

What would a Super League serve to gain bug clubs though? 

 

Currently all big European clubs (other than the English ones) finish top of their league at a canter. they're big because they dominate their Leagues and it's very often one of two or three clubs that win it every year. Now in some Super Euro League would Chelsea or Arsenal or Liverpool be prepared to finish bottom of the League? Surely their stature would diminish every time when they're getting constantly dominated by Bayern or Real Madrid or Athletico Madrid or Barcelona or Dortmund or Juventus or Napoli or PSG? They are all teams who are better than English teams so would they be prepared to finish tenth in a League very season? 

[Webbo]

What would a Super League serve to gain bug clubs though? 

 

Currently all big European clubs (other than the English ones) finish top of their league at a canter. they're big because they dominate their Leagues and it's very often one of two or three clubs that win it every year. Now in some Super Euro League would Chelsea or Arsenal or Liverpool be prepared to finish bottom of the League? Surely their stature would diminish every time when they're getting constantly dominated by Bayern or Real Madrid or Athletico Madrid or Barcelona or Dortmund or Juventus or Napoli or PSG? They are all teams who are better than English teams so would they be prepared to finish tenth in a League very season? 

Money.

[Finnaldo]

Money.

But as they become some midtable nobodies in an 'Elite' League surely there would be less interest, yes they'd get some TV money but as they're not top all the time interest would diminish, they'd become less popular a fans move to the better European Elite League sides like Barca and Real Madrid and Bayern and PSG, so merchandise sales would lower, therefore as their world market standing lowers so would the lucrative sponsorship deals decrease, which again I imagine makes a lot more than TV money.

 

So again, what would they gain? 

[Biggus]

A European Super League with a fixed number of franchise clubs would, I think, match the American Football set-up.  So the Billionaires would bid for a franchise I suspect and effectively buy a Brand name.  The name could move anywhere in Europe just like American Football teams move city.  They would attract the top players for the most money.  The supporters would come from outside of Europe - probably Asia.  In fact why not have a Global Super League - where will it stop.  I can see it now - Man Utd vs Beijing Rovers !  Meanwhile back in the real world, Leicester and FC United battle out for the Division 1 title.  Bye-bye big teams. 

 

We saw this with Cricket and Kerry packer in the 70's -  a break away tournament that was popular for a year or two until the mainstream caught up with more money based on TV rights. The teams 'left behind' in their National Leagues would soon arrange a new pan-European tournament.  Leave the big team names to be followed by 'brand loyal' fans from other areas of the World.

[Webbo]

But as they become some midtable nobodies in an 'Elite' League surely there would be less interest, yes they'd get some TV money but as they're not top all the time interest would diminish, they'd become less popular a fans move to the better European Elite League sides like Barca and Real Madrid and Bayern and PSG, so merchandise sales would lower, therefore as their world market standing lowers so would the lucrative sponsorship deals decrease, which again I imagine makes a lot more than TV money.

 

So again, what would they gain? 

a) You're assuming that Bayern and Barcelona would dominate the league. I doubt it will be that easy when they've got good teams to play every week.

b) The top European clubs would like the same kind of money that the premier league get now and English teams like Man U and Chelsea who are on the slide a bit now would like the guaranteed income of always being in the top league.

 

The fans of the remaining Europeans clubs would probably boycott the superleague but it would still sell across the rest of the world. The big clubs would probably play fixtures abroad like they do in the NFL. It'd be a money making machine.

[Guest seanfox778]

Has to be a joke, no one has a divine right to be in the competition. You earn your place by being good enough to finish in the top 4 spots of the Premier League. If you don't finish in those positions then you aren't good enough to compete in the Champions League. Simple as that, that's the whole point of having a competition. Would be the death of football if this isn't a joke.

[Larry_LCFC]

Think its a disgraceful idea and I would be livid if it ever happened. The BPL would be so dull if the CL spots didn't exist. Top 4 is always something to aim for and achieve.

[Bryn]

Would stop watching football.

[onekeithweller]

They'd have to rebrand it.

 

Cartel Cup?

[Jordan]

It's probably sort of a "threat" by the ECA as a negotiating tactic to try to get big clubs a bigger piece of the pie when the Champions League TV rights are sold.

[Swiper]

Man U and Milan sound like that kid at the park who the ball belongs to and when no one is passing it to him he gets upset and takes it home.

[davieG]

Think its a disgraceful idea and I would be livid if it ever happened. The BPL would be so dull if the CL spots didn't exist. Top 4 is always something to aim for and achieve.

Why would it be dull, if it was set up so that teams were level in terms of income then you'd more likely have a different champion every year, teams and fans would have a genuine realistic chance of winning.

 

If there was less money that wouldn't really affect the fans it would mean the players are earning less and they would need to accept that as there would only be a limited number of spaces for players in any super league.

 

I guess you could argue that the quality will drop but most of the teams would still end up with the quality they have now there might also be more English players in each team.

 

That's not to say I'm for it but the present set up is crap anyway.

[Webbo]

Why would it be dull, if it was set up so that teams were level in terms of income then you'd more likely have a different champion every year, teams and fans would have a genuine realistic chance of winning.

 

If there was less money that wouldn't really affect the fans it would mean the players are earning less and they would need to accept that as there would only be a limited number of spaces for players in any super league.

 

I guess you could argue that the quality will drop but most of the teams would still end up with the quality they have now there might also be more English players in each team.

 

That's not to say I'm for it but the present set up is crap anyway.

I doubt the gates would be as good as they are now,the best players will be bought by the superleague clubs,no ones going to be interested in Norwich versus Charlton on the telly. Eventually compared to the glamour of Real v Man U every week our top division will have the same status as the championship now.

[sylofox]

Nothing like living in the past.

But Mardi manure and the thieving scouse barstewards working together to rob champions league spots.

The sooner they fvck off the better.

[Dan]

If this happened I'd not bother anymore and I mean that.

[fuchsntf]

That'd be the end of me and football tbh.

ME TOO....

I would still follow City, but this IMO actually might not just destroy the big clubs, but fans through the proffi 1st -3 leagues in every European country, would de-motivate any spirit or wishes to spend so much money through the turnstiles.

This theme came up a few years ago, I was quite happy, suprised at the time how many big club fans through Europe also said they would turn their back on such a thing.

I cant remember now the originator but I know, Italian German football magazines

were involved asking, putting the idea on the terraces of various leagues through

Europe,also pinging the big boys , a few Company sponsors were also against

the idea (from their boxes), so we shouldnt paint all the rich clubs admin with the same Brush.

Unfortunately, if there are 2-3 single big business men , who want it to happen, they wont care what the Terraces say is, nor what their high flying peers agree with or not, they just wanto to prove who can make power descisions, and can still make some bucks, no matter what..

[Ozwin]

If this happened I'd not bother anymore and I mean that.

 

This.

 

It won't happen anyway. You don't just **** about with the rules like this and expect any self respecting football fan to just sit and accept it and carry on like normal. CL is the dream, it's the pinicle of club football.

[nnfox]

Competition removed from sport = no sport. It would be a disaster.

If there were a European superleague, how much would it cost to follow arsenal week in week out? Surely you wouldn't get any away fans