I wonder would you be saying that if you were awarded the Tournament? That's the acid test. Not questioning your integrity, mind.
Cheers DL. You've touched on another concern of mine too. If it does come to pass, how interesting will it be to see the same 14 clubs year-in, year-out going through the same-old same-old? Surely the openness of leagues top and bottom is the lifeblood of the game. Whether you're following a title contender, a CL aspirant or a relegation fighter the excitement goes pretty much through the season. If this G14 project comes to fruition, I'm not sure how interested any of us will be in watching United v PSG on Thursday night in February with nothing riding on the game.
Yes. What's come to light recently though convinces me we never had a chance. I have an innate dislike of powerful organisations with no transparency or accountability and I'd still question the whole rotten process just as I've questioned over the years the decisions England get at major tournaments. If we had been successful I shudder to think what we'd have had to do.
The top clubs agreed to shelve their ambitions until 2014 and the agreement was that a format would be agreed with UEFA for the Champion's League to be a more lucrative competition for the top clubs. But behind the scenes there are already moves afoot to start the process of a Super League which will see all the top clubs leave their domestic leagues and set up their own league outside the FIFA/UEFA axis. It would be underwritten by television revenue and be similar to the Kerry Packer takeover in cricket although much bigger as all the world's best players will be in it. The big difference here is the players would be governed solely by their clubs with no international call-ups to put their players at risk. The article I read at the time projected a 16 team league followed within two years by a world-wide 2nd division of franchises bringing in Asia, South America and other boom areas including the USA. This presents the biggest danger to FIFA as once the Super League is established the World Cup, from which all the top players would be barred from wouldn't be worth a toss.
Depressing reading. I'm starting to understand how Canute felt when the water started tickling his toes.
I feel just the same, the FFP regulations are partly designed to try and prevent this, protecting the big clubs from upstarts like Man City and PSG buying their way in, but the top clubs are so greedy they want to actually run their own show which will devastate the game in all countries. It's highly likely since that article, which was when FFP was first agreed, there is now more likely to be massive funding from betting firms which will make the real killing...
Here you are chief, you weren't too far away and I'm sure everybody knew what you meant. Did I spell 'discrimination' right if not put it down to Alzheimer's. Shame I cant spell that as well. The spell checker isn't working.
Crikey it just gets worse. More Ray Winstone talking to himself? If it does turn out as global an enterprise as that, it's hard to see what can stop it.
Genuinely not trying to wum you mate. I never thought there was a perception that there's a vendetta against England in Tournaments. The hand of God for sure. But after that? Maybe there's a bit of paranoia out there I don't know. Lets hope we both get the rub of the green in the upcoming finals.
I actually agree. They're corrupt to the core. The FIFA fair play tag line was the most perverse idiom I've ever seen.
Definitive proof. If you can't trust a tobacco advertiser, who can you trust? [video=youtube;4unl87oUWjY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4unl87oUWjY[/video]
This 'mickey-mouse' country has only ever won one international tournament(as hosts),the Celtic nations have produced some of the best players ever to grace the game in England,won the European before an English side managed it,and Ireland haven't been beaten by the English since the 60's. Just sayin.
