European Super League

The 12 ‘super clubs’ resigned en masse from the European Club Association when they announced their little scheme.

The ECA is the organisation which negotiates with UEFA on distribution of revenue from European competitions. So the ESL clubs no longer have a seat at the table for that particular discussion. They also have to figure out how they are going to pay JP Morgan for their time and useless input.

so now these clubs and their owners know that they cannot ignore their ‘legacy’ fans, that governments will intervene against them and that UEFA can say **** off and win.

Apparently John Henry/Fenway began to **** themselves when some of the clubs ‘official partners’ ie. firms who pay to be associated with the name Liverpool, started to terminate their ‘partnerships’. Scouse fans had made it clear to these ‘partners’ what continued support would do for their brand. FSG now expected to try to sell but might struggle to find buyers. Perhaps the ideal time to enforce a 51% fan ownership policy like Germany, with fixed, low price shares for the fans, no dividends, no trading. Or, preferably, dump the share model and have a membership model. Not just for Liverpool, of course...

Loving this.

 

5 Live Breakfast - Your Call - 21/04/2021 - BBC Sounds

Lee Hoos on from around 06.20 - starts with views on ESL, 'You have to bend to the culture, not expect the culture to bend to you', but then Campbell sidetracks into nonsense about bigger goals and such.

 

Apparently a part of the ESL plan was a 55% of turnover salary cap. While it would of course favour the clubs with biggest turnover, and with creative accounting turnover can easily be inflated, perhaps not such a bad idea in principle. But having a workable cap level would probably never be agreed by all the clubs as it would entail the richer ones giving up an advantage.

 

Thought Lee Hoos came across very well this morning. Hate to say I had no idea he was American

 

working from home has it good points and I enjoyed listening to Lee Hoos. I also like the fact that he does participate in communication with various fan bases and that the confidential element stays confidential.
Now that the superleague has almost been put to one side, the words financial fair play come to my mind. Barcelona, up ****e creek without a paddle have over spent on salaries and players for years, Real Madrid are the Kings team so unlikely to suffer. However, it will be interesting to see whether FiFA start to implement more stringent financial penalties on these clubs, and / or whether their fans turn their backs on these teams. As much as I dislike chelsea, I applaud their fans (and other fans from other clubs involved in the superleague) for the protests they took. I would also like to see the "Earn Shirt" become available for the fans. Maybe we will see some owners leave - or maybe their financial people. It would also be interesting to see whether will not attend matches when the super league clubs return to their own leagues.
As far a JP Morgan go, I wonder how this has impacted their shares (and I haven't bothered to look).

 

JP Morgan down marginally on the week, might just be general market movement. They had only agreed to arrange the financing, a €3.5bn loan, which wasn’t needed, so they are just out time and marginal costs, like any other deal that doesn’t come off. No reputational damage, unlike the clubs.

I’m missing this circus, it was great fun. Let’s hope Real Madrid and Barca, the two clubs which are completely screwed financially with debt, keep up their efforts to ‘save football’ , I like a good laugh.

 

They'll be back with another plan sooner or later

 

European Super League: Clubs 'cannot leave', says Real Madrid president Florentino Perez
Last updated on24 April 202124 April 2021.From the sectionEuropean FootballADVERTISEMENT
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have not yet abandoned the project.

"I don't need to explain what a binding contract is, but effectively the clubs cannot leave," Perez told newspaper AS.

"Some of them, due to pressure, have said they're leaving. But this project, or one very similar, will move forward and I hope very soon."

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The Real president added it was "not true" American investment bank JP Morgan - who had provided a 3.5bn euro (£2.8bn) grant to the founding members - had abandoned the ESL.

"They have taken some time for reflection, just like the 12 clubs. If we need to make changes we will but the Super League is the best project we've thought of," Perez said.

"What we have done is taken a few weeks to reflect in light of the fury of certain people who don't want to lose their privileges and have manipulated the project."


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Perez said on Thursday - in the aftermath of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham's withdrawing - that the ESL was still on "standby".

La Liga club Atletico Madrid and Italian sides AC Milan and Inter Milan have also formally pulled out, while Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli admitted the project could no longer proceed.

The 12-team Super League was announced on Sunday to widespread condemnation and has since prompted large protests outside grounds in England.

 

Rather than describe Real Madrid as the kings team, I think it would be more accurate to describe them as dictator Franco's team. Remember, King Felipe was appointed by Franco. They play in all white for a reason - as somebody who lived in Spain for 5 years, I firmly believe that is true.

You will go a long way to encounter such an obnoxious football club. They are Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool combined. They have a market of 80% of Spaniards supporting them. The only regions of Spain who don't have sympathy for them are the Basque Country and Catalonia. Sorry to bring politics into it but Spanish football is very political. It is no surprise to me that Madrid and Juventus appear to be the two clubs most in favour of this ESL.

 

I just wonder: Suppose that the 12 clubs did go into the superleague, would the fans of those that oppose it boycott the games? And if they did the clubs revenue would go down, as would the sale of merchandise. If the TV companies signed up to this, how any would continue their subscriptions?
I if supported one of these "big 12 clubs", I know I would start to watch football at a different level.

 

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stating the 12 clubs must face penalties and Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus will get the harshest. They need to hammer these clubs while they have all the fans with them on this. I also hope the Premier League do likewise, these c*nts have pissed on the rest of English football long enough, the worm has turned so let 'em have it...

 

There must be some kind of punishment, perhaps points deductions in the Premier League. What would be most appropriate for the English clubs is to ban the owners as being not 'fit and 'proper'. No doubt any action would see legal challenges, though.

 

Points deductions, although understandable, actually punish the fans as well. I like banning the owners, but failing that fine them 10% of turnover and give the proceeds to the bottom of this interesting pyramid we hear so much of.

 

Best video I've seen on the European Super League:

 

It's the fans reactions, above all else, that caused the huge U turn by the clubs, so I'd rather not see anything that impacted directly on them. Transfer embargoes, serious investigation of their accounts for FFP irregularities, banning them from Europe for a couple of years maybe (although that would probably push them towards an ESL) are all options, but they musn't be allowed to get away with this without punishment. As their officers have left the ECA they no longer have a seat at that table, and the 14 other PL clubs could vote them out of that executive, they have no power anymore, which is hilarious in it's own right!

 

maybe going forward, there is a place at the head table for a fan representative who has a say in how THEIR club is managed going forward?
Personally, all the clubs that went in for the superleague, ...I would like to see their fans boycott games etc when we are eventually allowed back in.
It will have an effect on the players....however the alyers have got used to playing in empty stadiums. Hitting the owners in the pocket - will mean the voices of the fan will be heard.. I am hoping that some of these owners will fall on their sword and sell up...but just cannot see it.

 

Maybe it's a good thing this super league is not going ahead as it's quite likely that spurs and arsenal wouldn't pick up a point between them.......

 

Perhaps a suitable punishment for these teams would be to ban them from all competitions except the Carabao Cup, and Institute a rule that the tie isn’t over unless one team, if they are one of the stunningly amazing six, wins by 5 clear goals, no extra time or penalties, just replays. Endless replays. Chelsea v Grimsby match 4.