New Champions League format from 2024

[SouthStandUpperTier]

34 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Disgusting really, but the best way to get back at them is to make sure we become an elite club. 

Well if this is how 'elite' clubs are supposed to behave I hope we never make it.

[HighPeakFox]

1 minute ago, bovril said:

We're not going to win it though are we. And we might struggle to make it out of the group stage. So being in the tent doesn't appeal to me that much when the tent is such a shit hole. 

And this is why I never go in the Politics thread.

[Samilktray]

12 minutes ago, bovril said:

And some people want us finish to 4th just to get a few Champions League crumbs over seeing us lift the FA Cup.

I understand the point you’re making but surely the vast majority want us to be involved because it’s genuinely the most entertaining football tournament around. The last 10 years have thrown up some incredible football games from the champions league 

[winteriscoming]

Show’s how worried they are about clubs like us breaking up the so called top 6. 
Agree that it’s disgraceful but it’s what I’d expect from a corrupt organisation. Very sad to see. 

[ARM1968]

3 minutes ago, Footballwipe said:

Was thinking the same thing. People on here jizz themselves into a coma in desperation to reach this little palace of elitism.

 

Nothing wrong with wanting to be there, but the utter desperation to be part of this elite gang, whose MO is to maximise profits and close the shop is a bit weird.

Read that last sentence again and reflect. That is WHY people want us in the CL - or we get left behind and crumbs are all we will ever see. It is utter shite, but if don’t push for a place at that table then we must simply accept mediocrity and our place with everyone else. 
 

I don’t like it. I’m fully against it. It stinks to high heaven, but my opinion, nor anyone else’s in here will change it. 
 

This is simply a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of a European super league. It will happen and ALL of the major TV money will go into it. Integrity will count for very little then and the only hope we would have is to rebuild our domestic leagues, bin all teams who play in the super league off and start afresh - with no FACKING money. 

[FOXYTALK]

Death of Football. 

[bovril]

1 minute ago, HighPeakFox said:

And this is why I never go in the Politics thread.

we've got all the cool kids with the latest polls

[Nalis]

One wonders what the Champions League will look like in 30 years time.

[shen]

Aren't wildcards basically given out in similar fashion in tennis for example? They're always subjectively selected because a) they bring more interest to the competition through popularity or sporting performance, 2) allow local or upcoming talent a chance to showcase their skills (i.e. future investment) or 3) to keep sponsors happy.

 

I would have preferred the extra places go to leagues outside the top 5-6 in Europe, but would it add anything from a sporting/economic perspective or just dilute the CL competition?

[ARM1968]

8 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

And this is why I never go in the Politics thread.

People don’t understand the circularity of politics. They think they have a choice, but all roads  ultimately end at the same destination. 

[Muzzy_Larsson]

2 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

Read that last sentence again and reflect. That is WHY people want us in the CL - or we get left behind and crumbs are all we will ever see. It is utter shite, but if don’t push for a place at that table then we must simply accept mediocrity and our place with everyone else. 
 

I don’t like it. I’m fully against it. It stinks to high heaven, but my opinion, nor anyone else’s in here will change it. 
 

This is simply a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of a European super league. It will happen and ALL of the major TV money will go into it. Integrity will count for very little then and the only hope we would have is to rebuild our domestic leagues, bin all teams who play in the super league off and start afresh - with no FACKING money. 

Money shouldn't be the be all and end all in football though, I think that's the point people are trying to make, there comes a time where you have to say enough is enough.

 

Let these 'elite' clubs, a lot of which were mediocre sides who have achieved nothing until a Russian oligarch or Sheikh decided to play real life football manager, go off and play in their superleague. Let them play each other at 10am on a Sunday morning so they can hoarde even more money from the asian tv markets, let them fill their grounds with football tourists and sell their soul and any atmosphere these grounds ever had. 

 

Like anything there is a saturation point, people will get tuned off by watching Man City v PSG three and four times a season. Football at it's best is raw and authentic and this sort of thing would be none of that.

 

I'm not daft enough or an idealist to the point where I don't realise money rules the game now, of course it does but it's getting out of control and football is in danger of eating itself because of it. At least sports like NFL and whatever else have salary caps etc to maintain some sort of competitive edge.

[Foxxed]

Rich teams give themselves a golden safety net while making it harder for everyone else. And also justify it to themselves.

 

The bailout Champions League?

 

Trustfund Champions League?

[Muzzy_Larsson]

1 minute ago, Foxxed said:

Rich teams give themselves a golden safety net while making it harder for everyone else. And also justify it to themselves.

 

The bailout Champions League?

 

Trustfund Champions League?

The Cartel

 

The Closed Shop Championship

[ARM1968]

Just now, Muzzy_Larsson said:

Money shouldn't be the be all and end all in football though, I think that's the point people are trying to make, there comes a time where you have to say enough is enough.

 

Let these 'elite' clubs, a lot of which were mediocre sides who have achieved nothing until a Russian oligarch or Sheikh decided to play real life football manager, go off and play in their superleague. Let them play each other at 10am on a Sunday morning so they can hoarde even more money from the asian tv markets, let them fill their grounds with football tourists and sell their soul and any atmosphere these grounds ever had. 

 

Like anything there is a saturation point, people will get tuned off by watching Man City v PSG three and four times a season. Football at it's best is raw and authentic and this sort of thing would be none of that.

 

I'm not daft enough or an idealist to the point where I don't realise money rules the game now, of course it does but it's getting out of control and football is in danger of eating itself because of it. At least sports like NFL and whatever else have salary caps etc to maintain some sort of competitive edge.

Mate I absolutely agree with you. It’s is out of control. Money should not be the deciding factor. As with everything, though, money is being used as the lever to achieve aims. We all loved suddenly being able to afford £20-£30+ Million players. Selling Big H for £85 million to UTD was hilarious. Only it isn’t because it’s ridiculous and it’s a carefully considered slippery slope that will a few at the top and everyone else at the bottom. 
 

unless there is a grassroots movement by all fans across the whole of Europe, which won’t happen, you have to sit at the table of the damned.  I can’t imagine players giving up their £50k plus a week wages because money is ruining football. I can’t see SKY or others walking away from televising Man Utd vs Barcelona, Real Madrid vs Juventus, Liverpool vs PSG etc etc. Money is forcing the issue and we simply cannot stop it now until it burns itself out, which it will eventually. 

[Foxxed]

The rich get richer. And change the rules so they stay rich.

 

The poor work harder in worse conditions and go nowhere.

 

Finally, a meritocracy.

[Foxxed]

3 minutes ago, Muzzy_Larsson said:

The Cartel

 

The Closed Shop Championship

The once-upon-a-time Champions League

[AjcW]

We should be proud of this you know. Looking for a positive! 

There’s no doubt what happened in 2016 helped cause this. Coupled with getting into the QF’s the following season, and also currently looking like we’re going to be the only non “big 6” team to qualify again since...

[when_you're_smiling]

In many ways this is worse than a Super League. If the clubs fooked off and did that we could just get on with the system based on performance that’s worked fine for the last nearly 150 years. This is just a super league while also diminishing the Football League.

[sheffield_fox]

If we ended up in some protected super league that other teams couldn't get into, I might support another club instead tbh

[Corky]

I'd actually have admired us if we'd said in 2017 "we've reached the quarter-finals, one of the top 8 teams in Europe, let us have another go". And we'd still have more of a claim than some others.

 

Anything that isn't based on previous season's performance loses significance. Allows these failing big clubs to not worry too much about their current state.

[BlueSi13]

Very sad day.  But inevitable.  I thought the current format was perfect, 99% of games had meaning with previous few dead rubbers.  Isn't this new format going to throw up a tonne of meaningless games?

 

Also, there is this assumption that the FA Cup and League Cup is going to have to make way to some extent.  These competitions have incredible history in this country and provide a financial lifeline to many a club outside of the Premier League.  IMO I'd be tempted to bring back replays for all rounds of the FA Cup and League Cup.  Put massive pressure on the "Big Six" who have been pushing for this.

 

Also, I'm really surprised the Premier League themselves have been so passive about the plans.  It's been clear for a while that other European Leagues have been looking for a way to dent the commercial and financial dominance of the Premier League, this is surely the opening salvo. 

Edited 30 March 2021 by BlueSi13

[StriderHiryu]

 

Absolute garbage.

[twister]

I think I might slowly withdrawl from football in the next couple of years

 

ready to tap out completly come 2024

 

the game is dead greed has ruined it

[turlo]

6 minutes ago, sheffield_fox said:

If we ended up in some protected super league that other teams couldn't get into, I might support another club instead tbh

Especially when it will end up being the Leicester Foxes vs the London Gunners with games played in quarters and powerplays a few years down the line

[SemperEadem]

3 minutes ago, twister said:

I think I might slowly withdrawl from football in the next couple of years

 

ready to tap out completly come 2024

 

the game is dead greed has ruined it

Feel this way too sadly. Can’t turn it off completely but will look for a more authentic experience with non league and abroad when I can.