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Yeah lost it about what Neville said although he appears to agree with him.Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoDoidge
Also - presumably Leeds put the T-shirt’s in their changing room to let the players show their support, whereas he’s taken it as some kind of insult.
It is a cup competition though regardless of the name. Relegation is irrelevant. You play the games to try and get in the qualifying spots.Quote:
Originally Posted by 007
And has now said he’s going nowhere. Shocker.Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoDoidge
Would people watch it? More people than watch their own clubs games already?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozyhibby
I watch Hibs games from our league, but I’m not particularly interested in watching Dundee Utd v Killie or any the rest of them playing each other. I’ll occasionally watch it, and I’ll check out the highlights, not arsed if I miss them though, and I don’t think I’m in the minority.
What the Atlantic Leagues doing is substituting in teams im not interested in watching from other leagues. Not a shred of appeal to me. At least in our own league I can jump on a train/bus to an away game. Easy to get to the national stadium for a cup final.
https://twitter.com/SimpsonsSPFL/status/1384054743970971653?s=19
Do you not watch other teams highlights on sportscene? Or goal highlights on Twitter, YouTube etc? I know I do. And that’s what sponsors want. So if suddenly people in Norway, Denmark, Sweden etc all start watching Hibs highlights then that is good for Hibs commercially.Quote:
Originally Posted by easty
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Did wonder how Klopp would react and have to say he’s been really disappointing. Turning on Gary Neville who has been the best of all on this was embarrassing. Was impressed with Milner though.
Indeed. And then his interview later has basically said the owners can do what they want, I don’t agree, but I’ll go with them anyway. I’m just disappointed Shreeves never put it straight to the players/manager ‘if this goes ahead, with your strong disagreement of it, and the resultant destruction it is going to cause to football, would you take part?’Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Boy
The point I am making is that because places 6 to 10 don't gain or cost you anything in terms of qualifying for the next stage or relegation from the Super League there will be a lot of meaningless games.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy74
In the Champions League teams have got through on 8 points so it is feasible you could lose your 1st 3 matches but still have a chance to get through so chances are the earliest you can definitely be out of contention is with just 2 matches left and even after that you try to get 3rd so you drop down into the Europa League. In the Super League format they will play 18 games in the group stage. There will be teams at the bottom, miles off 5th place halfway through and probably mathematically too far behind 5th with 5 or 6 games to go. All they'll be trying to do is move up to 8th or 9th to get a bit more prize money. I don’t know about you but I wouldn't be tuning in to watch the likes of Schalke v Arsenal to see which will be 9th and which 10th.
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Originally Posted by calumhibee1
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Originally Posted by HoboHarry
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Originally Posted by DH1875
Gerrard might be getting a wee bit excited at this kind of talk.Quote:
Originally Posted by HoboHarry
Klopp has said tonight he’s going nowhere. His interview on Sky basically backed that up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim44
He's a f4nny - thinks the world's against them when they get a pish result. Moaning at fans giving them a bit of stick outside the ground tonight. Poor soul. Conveniently silent on the Liverpool fans who smashed Madrid's bus to pieces last weekQuote:
Originally Posted by DiscoDoidge
I just find this all depressing. I have a hibs season ticket and go to pretty much every away game and it’s just highlighted how I’m actually just a hibs fan and not a football fan.
The only non-hibs football I watch are international tournaments because they haven’t been destroyed by hypercapitalism.
You get people like Gary Neville whinging about greed and lack of competition when top level football has been a closed shop for decades. Why wasn’t he whinging when it was obvious about 20 years ago that rich clubs would keep getting richer, ruining the sense of competition at the top level. Why do you think Bayern have won the last 9 or 10 titles, Juve are at 9 titles, PSG are about the same, the same 8 clubs pretty much get to the quarter finals of the champions league every year. Even smaller leagues like Holland and Scotland are dominated by the same 2 or 3 clubs.
Liverpool and Man Utd fans and the likes of Neville and Micah ****ing Richards crying about the death of football is a joke. Inequality in football isn’t a new thing and bleating about the illusion of competiveness being taken away by the ESL just shows these people have no idea what’s at the root of the current issues in football.
Real Madrid president bleating on about how Madrid have lost €400 million due to covid.How much money to they continually ***** away on transfers and Bales wages?Isnt the Bernabeu going through a massive costly renovation.Disgusting
I prefer Wolf's nipple chips. Original and best. :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by Hector Mudflap
I'm also partial to the occasional jaguar's earlobe.
From the clips that I saw he was more passionate when having a few cheap digs at Gary Neville than he was in his comments about not being in favour of the super league - though to be fair he did say that on a few occasions.Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveHFC
The owners have put him in a horrible situation obviously, but it felt to me that he was trying to score some points with the Liverpool support by attacking Neville because he couldn’t say how he truly felt.
Ultimately, if managers say they are against it, but manage in it, they aren’t against it.
It remains to be seen what players could do, they can’t just quit like managers can. Quite what clauses and conditions might be in their contracts in relation to breakaway / unsanctioned tournaments is probably something the media will get to in the days ahead...
Interesting few days/weeks ahead.... takes minds off covid if nothing else!!
Good article from Barney Ronay about it. This hasn't come from nowhere though. The Premier League and Champions League have created this culture of avarice. The proposals are disgraceful, arrogant, ridiculous and ultimately boring in equal measure. Hammer these clubs and get football back to reality (wishful thinking I know.)
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/19/power-grab-in-a-pandemic-european-super-league-absence-of-fans-tv-income
A new Super Dooper moon league is as relevant to me and the Champions league. We have zero chance of ever winning that and as little chance of winning our own domestic league. The whole thing is greed yes but it's no different from our own break away Premier or the EPL who's (the EPL) sole reason for being 30 years ago was to get more money for each of the breakaway teams from the massive TV deal that was available and the rights to control more of their own income.
Now we have a huge money deal from JP Morgan in the billions and the "new breakaway breakaway" clubs will pocket an even tidier sum. The real reason we see all these organisations coming out complaining about the "Integrity of the game" and the "corporate greed" are the same A-holes that were right behind it the last time when THEY were directly going to benefit from the TV money. None of the Associations are in on this deal and so now they cry foul! It's totally hypocrisy. They say they will ban players from their competitions who take part- I would love to see how that plays out because IMHO that will be a huge court battle that the associations will lose without a doubt.
The people who will benefit from day one are the players who will be asked to play in this new league so an extra twenty games a season. It's those same prima donna players who will be getting 200-500k a game and then lets see how many of them are against it. They will play and be rewarded and the team owners will be rewarded and the only way this won't happen is if the viewers don't pay to watch it. Going to these games will be even more expensive so corporate boxes and company season tickets will be the bulk of the physical "crowd". Some hard core well to do 'fans" will still turn up carrying their cashmere scarfs and instead of a program they will have copies of the Financial Times so they can shout about their Clubs share price rise!
The only way I see this not happening is if the people who subscribe to sports tv channels don't ! It's the Sky Sports people who fund the obcenity of the EPL. In Scotland we pay more Sky subscriptions than any other country (by head of population) and yet they give our league the near square root of naff all plus £50 quid two balloons and one stick for the cups rights ! This new league will marketed at the Indian, Asian and American markets where they will be fed a game like the American Superbowl with four quarters and adverts after adverts. Times extended on corners and throw-ins to furnish more adverts. The game as we know it will not be what's offered- maybe at first but it will change. Who really cares ? We all sat back and let Rangers and Celtic control our own domestic league for the money and we have been left with exactly what we deserve. That is- all scrambling for third and a few toffees or the occasional cup when the games don't go to plan. I heard an ex Liverpool player bemoaning it all on the radio this morning saying it's not all about the money but boy is it ever. Someone called in the radio station and said nobody is going to go and it will be stale with no relegation there is nothing to play for . Jeez- does anyone think that it matters? The team franchises don't care about selling away tickets - they care about the home game revenue from the TV deal and it's a bonus if any crackpot comes and pays to watch in the actual ground. The whole of football is stale and it's been caused by Sky and the greed of the associations over the years. How many teams have won the SPL over the last thirty years? How many teams have won the EPl over the last forty? Our own Spl breakaway was talked back into the fold (a bold new partnership) with the SFA only after they agreed TV money- Rangers and Celtics exclusive voting rights and the non redundancy of the directors and back office of the SPL. Why would anyone in Scotland give a flying bum kick for the new Super intergalactic Moon Breakaway breakaway league? Don't watch it - cancel your Sky Sports package - in fact all sky packages and spend the money going to the games or to any local junior team and watch the highlights of Hibs at night. We have an almost zero chance of winning anything while the game is dictated to by Sky. Look at the movie industry since the rise of Netflix. All the same actors and actresses all moaned about the damage and the "end of movies" and now these same people are queuing up to star in the next ten part made for TV Netflix special. (this year Netflix out subscribed Sky)
As fans of this great club and as fans of all the other league clubs in the country - for us nothing will change. If Celtic and Rangers get in somehow (you never know) they will earn even more and the team that plays on the Saturday at Peterhead in the cup will be their B team and still better than anything we can field. I have read that our league is one of the few where turnstile revenue accounts for more than 50% of the teams turnover so if that is right we still have power to get it all back but the problem is if we do - who's going to play in the league? Only old bit part players or younger ones released by the big clubs? We can't change anything without changing our own league set up first. The Glasgow Two will still generate huge incomes from massive crowds- who ONLY continue to come to watch winning sides. Remove their control and have a more competitive league and we will see a rise in attendance for all other clubs who's own win percentage then starts to rise. I firmly believe it's that simple.
Last point- Celtics average players salary this year 895,564 - absolute light years away from everyone else including Rangers. Now though the balance will be restored. The massive money Celtic made from their European adventures over the last ten years is obvious. All TV money from the Champions league rights- The Champions League even dictate what other non associated football is on in every country when the CL games are being played!! You could not make it up. Spoon fed by the big teams and the greed of the associations. Where does all that money come from? Us - all of it- if we didn't watch it they would have no product to sell.
Celtic have spent FOUR times more money on a set of disco lights than we have ever spent on a player.
The game is a bogey but we helped create the bogey it is.
What can the players do? If any sizeable amount of players come out and say they are against this, and won’t partake in it. It will stop it dead, what do they have to lose? Can easily go and pick a 60/70k a week pay check up somewhere that doesn’t play in the Super League. Time for the players to grow some balls. These are working class people from working class backgrounds. Time they started acting like it.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottB
I find it all a bit hypocritical of UEFA tbh, when they dicked around with the European Cup into it's present format all for money they should have seen it coming. Let them get on with it I say.
Gary Neville's comments calling it criminal and a joke were equally as embarrassing, this was always on the cards. I didn't see them complaining when he was playing in the champions league when the majority of clubs in the competition weren't champions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Boy
The "Champions League" is a farce. Four clubs from the top leagues go straight in. Basically a closed shop as it is. Soon as you had two teams from the same country contesting the final it became silly. Lost interest in it a long time ago. UEFA have created the monster so hell mend them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crunchie
:top marks I can't remember anyone complaining either.Quote:
Originally Posted by Since452
The people saying it's a closed shop anyway in the Champions League just aren't getting it. Yeah the Champions League has too many clubs from the same country, but you have had different clubs at times (Atalanta, Leicester, Real Sociedad etc) over the past few years. That chance is being taking away from them.
And the EPL is finished if they allow the six to stay. Look at this season for example, Chelsea and Liverpool fighting to get into the top 4. In future seasons, there's no reason for them to give a damn as soon as they know they won't win the league. Cue 12-15 meaningless games every season for the "big 6" clubs that can't win the EPL because they know they're guaranteed their spot in this despicable tournament. And if they do finish 1st-6th, then are we saying 7th-10th placed sides get into the new Champions League?
If the EPL, Serie A and La Liga had any self respect or backbone, they'd do everything to get rid of these 12 disgusting franchises. I suspect though, they'll roll over and let them get away with this.
I've never been so thankful of Scottish Football being like it is over the past two seasons. Firstly, that we can't afford VAR which is ruining the English game anyway. And now we don't have to put up with things like this.
loads of supporters weren’t happy back in 1998 when they started to allow non-champions inQuote:
Originally Posted by Crunchie
other supporters of smaller teams of course were delighted that they might now have a real chance of qualifying and competing against the the big names for the first time ever, can’t really blame people for that, and it’s that hope that will be snuffed out by this farce of a super league
Correct. I've hated the CL since it began to be honest. Was all because the supposed bigger clubs were often put out by clubs they felt were beneath them meaning they didn't make enough money. I cannot stand these clubs and have said so many times. Barcelona, Madrid, Manchester, Liverpool all trying to be the biggest team globally. Trying to prove how big they are by the number of Facebook followers or how much money their worth. **** them all. Spurs are a total joke. Not been champions for 60 years, elite?Quote:
Originally Posted by Pagan Hibernia
That's because champions league is a marketing name, nothing to do with being champions. Would you actually prefer to watch the Latvian champions lose 8-0 to Barcelona than say, Atletico vs Inter Milan?Quote:
Originally Posted by Crunchie
If you think the champions league, that everyone can qualify for, is the same as a closed shop super league, you are way off the mark.
Well it came from the European cup - the point was that it was the Champions of each country.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
That was changed to get more of the bigger teams in it and to keep them in it each year.
Do you realise you are making the same point as the Super League guys that you would rather see the so called bigger teams playing against each other more often that actually open it up to teams getting in there on merit?
Players will be able to get out of their contract.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottB
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f55216cf9d.jpg
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It's called the romance of the cup - exactly what's missing in the current Champions League setup.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
The original CL format was fine in that, as with the European Cup, all the national champions went unseeded into the hat and they had to slug it out to get to the latter stages. Now it's all about the mega clubs looking after themselves.
It no longer interests me at all.
No, I'm not. I want to see 4 teams from the best leagues in it, not 1 and then a bunch of Eastern European sides who get trounced. It wouldn't be good. Its fine as it is, gives the genuine chance of a west ham or Leicester to get in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy74
It would be even more imbalanced if it was only league winners and it would only have 5/6 decent sides from 24 or 32. Look at what happens to Celtic vs a decent side like psg or barca. They lose 5 or 6.
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Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
That's like saying there should be qualifying rounds for the Scottish Cup - and the PL sides get a bye into the last 16.
The point of football, sport, (life?) is that the little guy gets a shot against the big guy - and you know what, sometimes they win.
The Latvian champions might get beaten 8 - 0 by Barcelona - but that guy will have achieved playing against Messi - and that is great. It doesn't matter if it doesn't make a good tv show.
No, its not. The scottish cup is and always has been open to all. The european cup isnt. Its the premier european competition and should have the best sides in it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yorkshire HFC
The little guy does get a shot. They don't qualify because they lose to other little guys.
Its a nostalgia thing for many who saw the European cup with only champions. It wasn't better.
That's your opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
In mine it was infinitely better then than now.
In what way?Quote:
Originally Posted by Peevemor
And that's why when Scottish teams do qualify for Europe, they end up playing the 4th best team from Estonia or Finland - all the glamour is taken away. Why not have a chance of getting drawn against a 4th best team from Italy or Spain?Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
As I posted before, it's the romance of the cup. I prefer everyone, unseeded, in the hat from the start. That way the (relative) minnows might get a draw against the big guns. There would also be shocks, where a plucky wee team takes a prime scalp over 2 legs. It also means that the mega clubs aren't guaranteed their additional millions every season.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
I've seen loads of comments on here and elsewhere that a lot of people, like me, have lost interest in the CL.
I honestly believe that football has to get back to basic to get the majority of fans back onside.
yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve20
Let them go away to play in their super league leaving their respective domestic leagues and let the fans decide if they want to subscribe to channels that show the games.
Top flight teams do get a bye on the Scottish Cup, we come in at round 3 or 4.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yorkshire HFC
The thing is they won't care if the genuine fans watch or not. As Gary Neville said if Man Utd sold the TV rights to anyone around the world at £2 a game they'd be making hundreds of millions every single game due to the amount of fans they have round the world.Quote:
Originally Posted by Key West
The genuine fans from Manchester and surrounding areas are a tiny proportion of their worldwide fanbase so they are happy to basically cut them adrift for people in Beijing,Toyko and Texas who have never and will never set foot in Manchester.
If they’re under contract, it’s not like they can just up and leave. They can say that don’t like the idea, absolutely, but that’s about it. Can fit players just refuse to be picked without the club being able to do anything about it? I guess that’s also an option.Quote:
Originally Posted by HibernianJK
True, but again I preferred it when all the SFL clubs came in at round 3. The earlier rounds were effectively qualifiers for the regional and amateur leagues.Quote:
Originally Posted by matty_f
By breaking Uefa rules and making them ineligible for international football, the clubs are breaking the contracts. Players would be entitled to leave under those circumstances.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottB
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Youbdo realise that two of those eatern European teams have won the trophy more times than Spurs, Man City,Arsenal? Steaua Bucharest and Red Star Belgrade. Why not make it a proper elite league and just invite past winners? You know the teams who were the elite, actually won their league and then went on to become the best in Europe? It has fyck all to do with sporting excellence and all about greedy *******s making more money after racking up billions of debt. I hope they go tips up, the owners lose billions and then the fans can get their clubs back.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
I'm with you...European cup, cup winners cup, fairs cup. Those were the days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peevemor
I do, yes. 30+ years ago. Liverpool have won it twice in the last 15 years without qualifying through being league winners. Surely that is an example of it offering a chance to an underdog and not just league winners?Quote:
Originally Posted by weecounty hibby
These sides don't even do well in the Europa league never mind the champions league.
So bin them, don't let them compete? I see. Why not just have Barcelona v Man City 20 times a season then? It is all about greed, they don't give a **** about the "product". I have seen games with Hibs that were as enjoyable as some with these so called elite teams.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
Underdogs maybe but hardly a major shock. Their average wage is £5.5m per year. That's our entire wage bill - players, coaches, admin, the lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2...4c8faec9156742
To be honest I thought it all could be a bargaining chip for a new champs league. But this times article refutes that, 23 year contracts already signed by all clubs
We do that in the League Cup.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yorkshire HFC
European qualified teams miss the early groups. Bye straight into the knockouts.
Before then it was seeded in the early round.
But at least it’s a competition to get those byes.
Having the “founding 12” is a joke.
J
Why have these clubs not done so well compared to the English, Spanish and German's? Maybe all commercial revenue should be put in one big European fitba pot and split evenly amongst all countries on a pro-rata basis? After-all Gary Neville, Uefa and Sky Sports are all about fair competition aren't they :cb :rotflmao:Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
I still find the outrage at this laughable. We are in an age where a finger nail can make you offside after 10 minutes of delays from reviewing footage, football clubs listed on the stock exchange, football clubs selling tickets direct to rich foreign "fans" directly by-passing locals, clubs taking friendlies all over the world, billions and billions being transferred for TV rights and sponsorship deals, players being paid £250k a week, hospitality boxes costing a hundred grand, the list is endless. Yet people are surprised something like this is happening. The most ironic thing aswell is its Sky Sports and their employees leading the way to "save football" despite them having *****d football more than everyone else has combined! Couldn't make it up.
Hope it happens. Hope the EPL suffers. Hope the CL suffers. Hope Sky & BT suffer. **** them all :cool2:
They seem to change the format of the league cup every 5 minutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bristolhibby
Neville made a good point last night.
It’s all about the mobiles, selllibg a product to 150m people world wide at a pound a game, consume it on your phone.
Man U et al, trouser £150m every second week.
Then want to rock up in the Premiership. Joke!
J
How we consume are media will rapidly change. Sky Sports models are outdated for the younger generation. They don't want to commit and pay a fortune for stuff they don't use, ie £30 for Sky Sports a month which is good value if you watch football, golf, F1 and whatever else they show. Not so good value if you're 20 year old and want to watch City twice a month.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bristolhibby
Matchroom boxing's deal is up with Sky Sports soon and there is every chance Eddie Hearn could go with the streaming platform DAZN. If that's the case I don't think boxing will be the last sport to broadcast via streaming.
The European Cup pitted the champions of each country, it gave the minnows a chance over 2 legs to take on the big boys, the tournament was about any cup competition, the luck of the draw. I think you're the one way off the mark and it's not about what I or anyone else wants to watch, you're obviously in agreement with the big boys and a closed shop because that's where it was always going from day 1.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
No, they do get to compete, and if they keep improving etc, they get to compete at a higher level every year. It might be about greed but its the headline tournament, it should be the best sides.Quote:
Originally Posted by weecounty hibby
In the world cup, do you watch when Morocco play South Korea? Or do you watch Brazil vs France? Thats a good example of everyone getting a chance to be in it, and some of the games are absolutely awful.
Agree, and also, not to bring them up, but Celtic, champions of plukey wee Scotland, beat Barcelona in the Champions League not so long ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yorkshire HFC
I'm quite clearly not because I've said multiple times I'm not. How did you get obvious from that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Crunchie
Even the ones who turned down the super league, like Bayern and Dortmund, are in favour of the CL as it is.
Would you genuinely prefer to watch latvian champions vs gibraltar champions or Dortmund vs Spurs? Seriously? How many qualifying rounds do you currently watch with these sides in it?
Theyve lost 7-0 and 6-1 since then.Quote:
Originally Posted by HibsGW
They have, doesn’t change that they beat them recently though. That type of argument edges towards super league stuff. Aston Villa usually get beat by Liverpool. They beat them this season scoring 7 goals. Do Aston Villa not even deserve the chance to play the big guns because they usually lose to them?Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
You obviously don't get it, it's not about what you or I want to watch, it's about fairness of competition. Your argument is all about making money.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
I don't watch any of the champions league it interests me not one jot, nor the europa league.
They arent awful if you come from Morocco or South Korea...Probably the most exciting event of the year for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
Plus some of the awful games are the big names you are looking forward to seeing - not always the minnows.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalianwanda
The EPL, UEFA and SKY are all complicit. They've flung money at, and pandered to clubs for too long to the point where x ammount of billions isn't enough anymore. It's not the game I know and love and hasn't been for a long long time. The Champions League and EPL aren't for me. Give me backwater, pub league Scottish football any day of the week over that circus.
:agree:Quote:
Originally Posted by Since452
Couldn’t agree more with this.
I can fully understand and get something and still disagree with it you know. I just think the champions league is well suited with the best sides being in it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crunchie
No doubt. Same as its great for Liverpool to win the CL without winning the league. That makes more people happy than the best Latvian side losing to the best Croatian side.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalianwanda
No. Villa have earned the chance to play them. Same as Celtic did Barcelona.Quote:
Originally Posted by HibsGW
https://twitter.com/skysportsnews/st...451070464?s=21
Without FIFA on board I think this is dead in the water.
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Absolutely they can. It’s drastic, the club may fine them, but it’s what’s needed.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottB
Difference is CL is an open tournament - this is closed doors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy74
I get that not everyone wanted/wants the CL, but I cant understand any real fan wanting this new SL. Given how elitist the whole thing is
Do you have to live in Manchester to be a 'genuine fan'? Not sure that holds right in today's global world.Quote:
Originally Posted by Since90+2
As an indication of how things can change in that timescale, 23 years ago Manchester City were in the process of being relegated to English football's third tier. Meanwhile clubs like Blackburn, Coventry and Wimbledon were in the top flight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stairway 2 7
I think an additional 5 teams a year are to be invited based on league positions?Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenio
Bringing it back to numbers. They joy felt by the individual is similar (maybe more to those who aren’t used to it. By that reckoning Hibs have no business having any aspirations because our fan base isn’t as large as others.Quote:
Originally Posted by MWHIBBIES
Invited being the operative word. So the elite, spurs😂, teams get to choose who they'll let play in their rigged game. **** themQuote:
Originally Posted by Andy74
Well if you don't live in Manchester, or have family ties from there,why are you not supporting your local team? The reason these clubs have got so powerful is because people follow them rather than their local club.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenio
This is a really good article, unfortunately behind a paywall: https://theathletic.com/2528673/2021...shared-articleQuote:
Originally Posted by Since452
"If nothing else, the weekend just gone has drawn the clearest of lines in the sand between those who like to limit the jeopardy in football and those who like the thrill of the chase.
There is no middle ground here.
You either live for a team like Bielsa’s turning over Manchester City with a man less and just over 20 per cent of the possession or you prefer the carve-up of billions through an invitational model. You either accept the lows which accentuate the highs or you choose a life without either. If you love the sport, you can learn to love 16 years of toil outside the Premier League — because there is barely a single Leeds supporter who would deny that these three years of Bielsa made that long, grim trek worthwhile. The misery of the journey helped make the Bielsa story what it is."
Bielsa also spoke well after the game:
“This should not surprise any of us,” Bielsa said, when pressed on the Super League later. “I think there are structures which should limit the excesses of the big teams. The (authorities) could have anticipated these excesses and avoided them. What happened was inevitable. It happens in all walks of life.
“Some teams are bigger than others but they should be conscious of the fact that we need each other. The real owners of clubs are the ones who love the badge. Without them, football will disappear. This is going to generate a huge polemic. Let’s see who talks up in defence of the fans. Any decision which attacks these people is staking the future (of the game).”
Sadly the horse has already bolted so UEFA, FIFA, SkySports etc. are going to struggle to shut the barn door. They could have stopped this years ago but by relentlessly pursuing money over everything else they have created this monster and there's no way back now IMHO.
The only way this could be headed off is by going nuclear and expelling the club's from all local leagues and banning players from international competitions, but that's never going to happen, FIFA don't want a world cup without Messi, Ronaldo, etc. Sadly the reality is that these 12 clubs could probably accept being banned from their national FA's because of the amount of money they are going to make from this league and the fans will still go to games, maybe not the local die hards, but that's not who the owners care about anyway.
What is likely to happen is that the champions League is reformed again to some sort of compromise where certain clubs are guaranteed qualification every season but there's more opportunity for others to qualify and those guaranteed clubs are given a bigger slice of the money. The club's get their money, UEFA gets its flagship competition which is still "open to all" and the fans will be expected to be grateful for what we are getting.
I fell in love with football watching the champions League in the mid 90s, the era of watching players like del piero, kluivert, Davids, ravanelli, etc. Despite being a bit of a Juventus fan I felt a bit happy seeing Dortmund winning in 1997 as it felt like a proper underdog story at the time.
Even the addition of runners up in 1997 felt like a great thing when you saw Newcastle United beating Barcelona (Figo and Rivaldo) with a hat trick from Tino Asprilla. Unfortunately that was the start of the rot, more and more clubs were added to ensure the biggest clubs qualified every year and leading ultimately to where we are now.
The richest billionaires in the billionaires boys club have ****ed off to join the trillionaires boys club . the rest of the billionaires dont seem too pleased . it will ruin the game if its all about the money they cry from their ivory towers
I don't get it. The Champions League hadn't become dull because of any Ukrainian or Greek teams involvements, its just a dated tournament. So I wonder how they think this new model will be any better, especially if its a closed shop.
How dull.
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I think this is a weakness in the plan that could be attacked by UEFA and the national leagues. Any club participating in the ESL would be deemed to have left their national association and would have to apply for reinstatement at the lowest level. How many clubs would accept an invitation under those terms?Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy74
Only if the associations are going to chuck them all out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Caversham Green
In the plans the clubs aren't leaving anything domestically - they are just going to be joining up for this league rather than the Champions League.
But they are guaranteed to be in this league every single season regardless of performance. That is the whole point of this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy74
Spurs could finish 10th and still be in the biggest revenue generating tournament in the world whilst the team who finishes 6th won't be. That is not what football is supposed to be about.
good article.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergio sledge
one of my favourite CL seasons was 94/95 when Van Gael’s incredible young Ajax team (average age early 20s, almost all raised through their academy) went all the way. Even beating a seemingly invincible AC Milan in the final. I was 12 years old and it seemed impossibly romantic.
it was only within a few years that the competition was almost unrecognisable
The clubs don't want to leave but there has been talk of the associations chucking them out anyway. I agree it would have to include all participants including the as yet unnamed founder members. As an aside, why haven't the mystery three shown their hand yet?Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy74
the same 15 or 20 teams playing each other every Wednesday for eternity.Quote:
Originally Posted by EI255
footballing hell.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b5982caf96.jpg
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I'm not really arguing for it - just seeing I guess what the clubs are thinking here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Since90+2
Football can still be about that in the domestic leagues. What this proposal is challenging really is whether there is still any relevance in the Champions League. The 'big' clubs all appear to be saying that no, they don't think it will be relevant in future and there would prefer to take European football in a different direction.
The UEFA proposals from 2024 are going some way toward this themselves in allocating places based on previous performance. A team finishing lower in the league could still qualify ahead of a team higher placed. The allocation of CL places, the qualifying criteria and the outlet to the Europa League have all been geared towards helping the same teams to stay in the tournaments year after year anyway.
Once you get away from the European Cup being an open tournament for the league winners you are then into different degrees of fixing it's make up.
The Real Madrid President is one of those saying the concept of the Champions League is dead. After that, clubs are entitled to set up whatever they want to play whoever they want - but they need to then see the consequences from the other associations they have already joined. That will be the crux of where it goes from here.
The EPL was itself a breakaway, the Champions League was a big deviation away from what it was. This sort of thing has been coming.
Looking at it from the construct of purely the teams being rewarded on the park with a place in a higher level tournament this seems wrong but who says that construct is still the right way to look at football at European level in the future? These teams clearly see that something needed to change for them.
I suspect that the nuclear option of chucking teams out of associations won't work for anyone and that a breakaway of some sort will happen with financial support being handed back down - or UEFA have to make changes to their proposals to get closer to the Super League construct.
Arsenal, it has to be Arsenal having second thoughts!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozyhibby
Chelsea or city. There’s no way Stan kroenke is against it now, he’s a parasite and doesn’t give a **** about the clubQuote:
Originally Posted by H18 SFR
and you think city’s owners have a conscience?Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoDoidge
They don’t need the money. They’ve also built city with public perception in mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pagan Hibernia
Added to the fact it’s well known that Chelsea and city were already initially hesitant and only signed up last minute after being worried about being left behind
Aye i was thinking city tbh.Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoDoidge
Yup. Chelsea have zero debt and city’s is next to nothing too. They aren’t desperate for the cashQuote:
Originally Posted by AliboyFC
Na. Stan Kronke is tight with Perez. They are two of the leaders in the group.Quote:
Originally Posted by H18 SFR
https://amp.theguardian.com/football...mpression=true
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I live in Manchester and I watch United live when I can, most of my mates down here support United and a few city, I've been to both regularly and I enjoy it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Since90+2
However when anyone asks me who I support the answer is always and will always be Hibs.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EI255
Imo it’s dull because UEFA got greedy and bowed to pressure from the same ****bag clubs who now want to break away.
I’d love to see a return to the old European Cup format - home and away knock out tournament. Open to winners of national league competitions only.
Think about it, Nottingham Forrest have won the European Cup twice. That is more than Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham and Arsenal combined...
Nottingham Forest FC 💙 on Twitter: "Football belongs to everybody. Brian Howard Clough. Double European Cup winner. 🔴🌳 #NFFC https://t.co/SwI4bDIvYr" / Twitter