12 of the biggest soccer clubs around the world are trying to break off and make their own league, laughably called the Super League.
Would be pretty much the death of European football and is immediately the most hated idea on the planet.
Biggest clubs from Bundesliga not signing up (yet)
Why are they doing this? To eliminate relegation and the ups and downs of champions league revenues. They'd be more like the NFL or NBA where the value of your franchise is stable year to year ad infinitum.
I'm an LFC fan but I don't think I could really support them in some new dumb league.
Good rant from Gary Neville about how it's a pure money grab by the owners. - (
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In comment 15226041 Go Terps said:
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One question I'd have is that some clubs are owned by shareholders (Real Madrid and Barcelona definitely are). I assume their shareholders would have to approve this? It's not a popular idea with fans.
But I have to think the people running those clubs thought of that already before taking this step.
I think that if Abramovich, the sheikhs running Man City, and the Qataris running PSG were kicked out of football we wouldn't be anywhere near a European super league discussion right now. I think teams like RM, Barcelona, Man U, Liverpool, Juventus and the Milans, actual big clubs with real history, are trying to protect themselves from Chelsea, Man City and PSG with this move by forcing them to join a league where there will potentially be a salary cap and floor. I absolutely hate the super league idea but UEFA killed the golden goose when they invited Abramovich and the Middle East oligarchs to own clubs
I think they just want the money. According to reports The Glazer family and FSG are the ringleaders of this. Man City and Chelsea were apparently on the fence and were late to join in. Glazers pushed the idea of an NFL model so that they can have their own TV deal and make all the revenue.
PSG will probably join after the World Cup in 2022. It's in Qatar and they don't want to run any risk of that. Also Qatar is tied into the CL TV contracts too. But I have zero doubt PSG will join this when all that is done.
With no oil clubs, Real Madrid and Man United's cries for a European super league would fall on deaf ears. I believe they were the only clubs who wanted one 15 or so years ago
2. On the flip side, what's to motivate a Superleague team to put their best foot forward in their domestic competitions? They've got a ton of money rolling in already.
3. This opens the door to matches being played in the US, Qatar, China...
4. Does this open the door to franchises moving cities like in the NFL?
5. Feels like the Superleague teams are taking a titanic risk. If the Superleague doesn't catch on in popularity they'd have to come slinking back to UEFA, right?
6. The Champions League was already bordering on a Superleague anyway - and the changes in format that UEFA was to announce today only make it more imbalanced.
7. I'm glad I don't support any of these teams. I feel like this moves us a step closer to a world where watching sports means watching two teams of holograms named after corporations play in a virtual stadium.
2. On the flip side, what's to motivate a Superleague team to put their best foot forward in their domestic competitions? They've got a ton of money rolling in already.
3. This opens the door to matches being played in the US, Qatar, China...
4. Does this open the door to franchises moving cities like in the NFL?
5. Feels like the Superleague teams are taking a titanic risk. If the Superleague doesn't catch on in popularity they'd have to come slinking back to UEFA, right?
6. The Champions League was already bordering on a Superleague anyway - and the changes in format that UEFA was to announce today only make it more imbalanced.
7. I'm glad I don't support any of these teams. I feel like this moves us a step closer to a world where watching sports means watching two teams of holograms named after corporations play in a virtual stadium.
My thoughts exactly. It's a monstrosity. But UEFA, the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A mismanaged their affairs here in the years leading up to this
I thought I saw that the Superleague franchises won't be allowed in domestic competitions (and don't want to be in them). Perhaps I'm wrong about that.
5. Feels like the Superleague teams are taking a titanic risk. If the Superleague doesn't catch on in popularity they'd have to come slinking back to UEFA, right?
Right. This is what I think too - a very big risk.
But I have to think the people running those clubs thought of that already before taking this step.
This is why no bundesliga. Fans own 51%.
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One question I'd have is that some clubs are owned by shareholders (Real Madrid and Barcelona definitely are). I assume their shareholders would have to approve this? It's not a popular idea with fans.
But I have to think the people running those clubs thought of that already before taking this step.
This is why no bundesliga. Fans own 51%.
I think the English teams need that model too where the fans own a slight majority of the teams. Just to curb the insane amount of money being thrown around
As for the EPL expelling the teams, even if they do not do so, Sky News reporter said he was told by 3 different people today from English clubs they will not field competitive teams in those games and do not care if it means relegation. Their sole focus is on the Super League only.
I feel similarly. If they want to go form their own league, fine. But they must be kicked out of their domestic leagues. I think that's absolutely crucial.
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I think I am leaning to let them go and kick them out of the Premier League. Without those teams the PL gets very competitive again. Right now its just dominated by City, Liverpool, etc. Now there will be a lot of teams that have a chance. Sort of like it was before they created the PL to start with.
I feel similarly. If they want to go form their own league, fine. But they must be kicked out of their domestic leagues. I think that's absolutely crucial.
I agree as well, and I've been a diehard United fan for around 30 years. The Glazers use United as a cash till anyway, so let them go have at it and see who follows. I would love to have a more competitive Premier League. The quality of play would be more open since teams wouldn't have to sit with a back 9.
I suppose they can bring back already defeated teams, but how will the TV partners feel about that? Especially considering how tied in Qatar is to the international coverage and their obvious ties to PSG. Can't imagine they will be happy about that.
I suppose they can bring back already defeated teams, but how will the TV partners feel about that? Especially considering how tied in Qatar is to the international coverage and their obvious ties to PSG. Can't imagine they will be happy about that.
This is fitting way for Pochettino to win his first major trophy
Barcelona is having severe financial problems. The financial risk from being excluded from the CL may force them out of the Super League.
Barcelona is having severe financial problems. The financial risk from being excluded from the CL may force them out of the Super League.
There's a big fat entry bonus (~400M Euros, I believe) being funded by JP Morgan Chase to each of the teams in the Superleague; that's the primary motivating factor for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, each of whom is in monstrous debt. That dwarfs anything they'd get from the UCL.
This is a serious problem that, IMO, endangers all sports as we know them.
The fan/media revolt with some threats of conflict from Fifa and Uefa seems to be bringing this to an end.
Abramovich and the group running City are no saints. So it's actually impressive how the greed of the American owners and Perez at Real Madrid have made them seem sympathetic and the heroes of the people in all of this!
Pride goeth before the fall
Ed Woodward now resigns from Manchester United. This is all pretty crazy.
Seems to me this is a painful lesson to American owners that this is not America and the American sports system is not going to fly there.
On a sort of related point, I hate the balkanization of airing and access of EPL and UEFA to North America, hardly any left with MSNBC, Peacock is not satisfactory to me with having to join streaming to my set, weekend viewing is a hodgepodge. Maybe this speaks to implicit wealth in diversification of rights...maybe.
America is almost 90% locked out of European soccer without paying for streaming as it is. No doubt they plan to make it 100% subscription service here in America sooner rather than later.
But it seems like this info may already be dated. Things are moving quickly.
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I doubt that happens in Spain. The fans aren't organized, and Perez in particular holds immense power. Those two clubs are, in my opinion, really disgusting. Barcelona used to be cool when they were about creating players through La Masia. Now they're just like everyone else.
I hope all twelve of these clubs are ripped apart by this.
Crazy
You'd think once they announced the Super League they'd be prepared for the consequences and push on regardlesss. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad this is failing but the fact these teams backed out so quickly and and people are resigning/selling makes me think they thought this was going to go a lot differently which is mind blowing to me.
I guess once one team backs out though it's really a domino effect.
One thing I will say, this did not fall apart because of fan pressure alone or even the players. The owners could have waited the fans out and the players would have come around once they realized their wages were at risk. This fell apart so quickly because governments leaned on them hard behind the scenes.
Players on the Super teams were all going to hand in their transfer requests simultaneously? LOL. I guess the owners forgot to check in with the talent.
Glazers were definitely eyeing cashing out in the next year or two. Avram recently sold a big chunk of shares and more and more reports coming out that they weren't doing anything but using the club as a cash machine. Issue will be whoever buys the club will have to clean out a massive amount of debt.
Absolutely.
Hi Tony - hope you are doing well.
I also wonder about the long-term appeal of this type of league. Matches between these clubs are more interesting when they randomly happen in the ordinary course of European competition. The novelty could wear off quickly if these just become regular fixtures.
This all went up in flames faster than the Hindenburg but I don’t think this idea goes away completely.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN The night doomed European Super League was born as Prem Big Six chiefs held secret Dorchester meeting – FOUR years ago
Some interesting parts:
Another interesting article from Al Jazeera (originally in Bloomberg) about the involvement of J.P. Morgan (no stranger to funding Soccer Clubs) as well:
Super League: JPMorgan bets $4.8bn on disrupting football
In recent years, the bank advised Rocco Commisso, the Italian-American owner of Mediacom LLC, on his purchase of Serie A team ACF Fiorentina, and U.S. billionaire Dan Friedkin on his takeover of AS Roma.
It has also helped FC Internazionale Milano and Roma sell bonds backed by future media revenue, and Spain’s Real Madrid raise funds to refurbish its iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
So...we have an initiative from the owner of the Miami Dolphins (Ross), who has ties with La Liga, involving the owners of the Bucs/Manchester United (Glaziers) and the owner of the Rams/Arsenal (Stan Kroenke)..all involved with teams that were going to be in the new league.
This sort of thing is going to raise a huge stink, and possibly a monkey wrench in the NFL plans for a team in the UK, IMO. There are already calls to get the American EPL owners to sell, it's only a matter of time before the NFL connection gets brought up. Roger Goodell and the other owners can't be happy about this.
Imagine the reaction here if the NFL had a group of overseas owners who wanted to take the top 10-12 teams and split them off from the rest of the league, and were being financed by their friends at the Bank of England or Deutsche Bank to set up a new league with all sorts of financial goodies!
That was huge indeed. That would have really rounded it out with the big hitters from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France.
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The backlash would have been enormous.
That was huge indeed. That would have really rounded it out with the big hitters from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France.
They couldn’t even if they wanted to because the fans own 51% of the team. That’s how it should be.
Well at least one good thing came out of Brexit. England doesn’t have to abide by EU laws. That’s their way out of this contract.
These American owners are fucked. They might be forced to sell. They really underestimated the fans. What a mess.
Jose goes down as the only manager to ever been sacked in the ESL.
Absolutely correct - this is why owning an NFL, NBA, MLB franchise is so attractive: there's really no downside to the investment. It's also why we will never see relegation in MLS - why would someone buy a franchise to have it devalued?
European soccer doesn't completely get it right (Mike Ashley, AC Milan in recent years), but at least there's incentive to compete. In the US the incentive is to tank (Astros, Cubs).