European Super League

Immediate 25 points deduction.
Clubs banned from Premier League, Champions League, FA cup etc.
Players banned from country. Euros and World Cup 3 years after ESL starts (if it starts) as it is not the players fault.
Big club fines e.g.£250m. (that’s the value of the sign-up bribe).
Owners declared “not fit and proper” due to their action.
Bad as MQA.

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Nice one!

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I don’t in reality see this happening. It really is just ends as a bid to buy more domestic power. Throwing people out of cups and points deductions will equally just embroil people in legal action for years with money that only the clubs have. So, again, unlikely to happen. There will be a fairly typical war of words; then a stand off and the a climb down by both dressed up as an excellent solution.

Ultimately though it’s useful to remember that

2 - the clubs signing up for this are essentially those involved in sports-washing so this is in part about others having less oversight of where your money goes.

3 - this is clubs who have spent years spending money they don’t have finding themselves unsurprisingly struggling to service that debt model in a pandemic. It is an unsustainable model but that’s not stopped anyone for 30 years so it won’t stop them now.

4 - the argument that kids aren’t watching is disingenuous. Weirdly people with no/low incomes don’t watch that cost a fortune to watch in the flesh and a fortune to stream.

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I couldn’t agree with you more.

The big problem is the (mainly foreign) owners are too remote from the fans , witness the German teams giving this a wide berth

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No politics please. thank you.

Sorry Richard - but what are you referring to?

What I referred to, I have now removed.

Do you mean playing Tottenham and Arsenal !

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The best implies a meritocracy , and that is only achieved by open competition

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Not being an English football club supporter I can only speak as an interested observer.

To my mind the way that the ‘top’ clubs in England operate is the antithesis of what I recognise as football. I pity the true fans of these clubs who have remained loyal through thick and thin, I watch Match of the Day and see camera phones instead of pure joy and ebullience, these aren’t passionate football people, these are the social media darlings who want ‘likes’ not the highs and lows of real fans experiences. Too many glory hunters that don’t support their local clubs (or anywhere near it).

These are no longer clubs they are global brands, more interested in TV deals, sponsorship and ultimately money than anything else.

The ESL doesn’t affect me at all, I couldn’t really care less but I can’t understand why any player or supporter would relish the opportunity to play in it. It’s a complete misnomer too, 3 leagues represented, no French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, so what’s super about it?

If (and I’m not convinced) it actually goes ahead then one positive might be that the Old Firm get invited into the Premiership and we rid ourselves of that problem from the Scottish leagues.

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Perhaps the football authorities should show their clear intent by cancelling the Carabao Cup final on Sunday between two “greedy scum” teams.

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Tottenham in the European Super League:

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Latest news:-
Man City and Chelsea may crack
Klopp and Pep against ESL
Woodward grilled by MU players
Anger that Ole and Klopp and others have been left blind-sided and face music
ESL bankrolled by JP Morgan - another client was Bernie Madoff
SKY has snout in the trough?

I would have no problem with this league, if the twelve clubs were to leave their respective national championships. If playing a smaller international opponent is below Real, why would they play a relegation level club from Spain?
Thankfully even Bayern seems to keep a distance from this. On the other hand, with my hometown club sitting just above relegation, getting rid of them and Dortmund would pretty much secure the Bundesliga for Arminia. :sunglasses:

Wouldn’t surprise me if City and Chelsea backed out as they are bankrolled by super wealthy owners who don’t need the money but probably became involved for fear of missing out. Other clubs in the group are sitting on mountains of debt which has suddenly become a much bigger problem as a result of Covid.

The one true ESL was founded in ‘57 already:

image

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It may well be the start of a new economic crisis when all these clubs collapse.

How would you know you’re playing the best in Europe when it is effectively a closed shop? And even in the closed shop you have Arsenal and Spurs :rofl: Without promotion and relegation it is just glorified friendlies.

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As an Arsenal fan I’d say you’re definitely not playing the best in Europe. We’re a million miles away from the Wenger years and we weren’t the best in Europe then either.

It’s all a bit of a joke but without a punchline!

Although perhaps Arsenal, Spurs and Man U are the punchline :joy:

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