European Premier League: Talks take place over new £4.6bn tournament

But it’s not a monopoly and it crosses many borders.

The government are bricking it as the PL is great for the UKs image arguably our flagship industry around the world bring a lot of money into the UK but the government missed the boat on regulation a long time ago.

They won’t be able to stop this juggernaut now the time to stop it was when the foreign owners started buying up the clubs.

James Milner and Patrick Bamford both condemn it in post game interviews tonight.

Reports coming out Utd players aren’t happy about being kept in the dark over it.
 
But it’s not a monopoly and it crosses many borders.

The government are bricking it as the PL is great for the UKs image arguably our flagship industry around the world bring a lot of money into the UK but the government missed the boat on regulation a long time ago.

They won’t be able to stop this juggernaut now the time to stop it was when the foreign owners started buying up the clubs.

James Milner and Patrick Bamford both condemn it in post game interviews tonight.

Reports coming out Utd players aren’t happy about being kept in the dark over it.
Pish!
 
It’s purely for money and how much of this money will the club actually see? Very little.
Gary Neville went in on the Glaziers tonight and he’s rite , #GlaziersOut.
 
I think it would’ve sent a powerful message if the Liverpool players wore the t-shirts laid out for them as well. Totally get why they didn’t, but if that stuff matters, it would’ve said volumes.
 
It’s purely for money and how much of this money will the club actually see? Very little.
Gary Neville went in on the Glaziers tonight and he’s rite , #GlaziersOut.
He said that? didn't do much or say much when they were paying him did he. He's being a right pr!ck about this. Holier than though twat as he plunges money into a club to beat all it's competitors. Doing exactly what City, Chelsea, Madrid, Barca etc. have done.

Of course it's about money. As far as I'm aware, it's only about mid week European football, that I was priced out of years ago. So I couldn't care less. In fact if they are going to do PPV then I'd be up for it.
 
I'm not totally against it, I don't se why UEFA basically get a monopoly unchallanged, if the normal leagues go on as normal, and this replaces the CL then what does it matter. It needs some revisions about who can qualify. But like all things, money will make the league grow quicker than 20 clubs.
I do get fed up with UEFA and FIFA and their power, all they care is about money too, lets be honest.

All these ex players coming out moaning about it, who got rich on the back of the PL makes me laugh too. Football is a joke.
Why watch and comment on it then?
 
Read an interesting article earlier today,Oz time. MUFC shares rose by 11% yesterday, UK time.
But take into consideration, popularity and passion nosedived. The fuckin glaciers will love that
Another thing I read, from someone who obviously has a real passion for the game itself, the mighty arsenal and spurs, who've achieved virtually nothing, as far as Euro success goes, will be playing with the elite. What about Ajax ? Where would a team with their class, history and reputation stand?
 

So what regulation can government put on privately owned businesses that they could legally enforce on them?

The clubs would tie them up in court and they wouldn't win they are putting on a show for entertainment every week it's up to them which competitions they want to play in. Same way Formula 1 control who can race or boxing promotors control who can fight on a card.

Sadly the only way this gets stopped now is if one or two of the clubs brick it and pull out or UEFA come back with an even better deal for the clubs but even then it feels like the money on offer for this new tournament is just to good to turn down.
 
It's going to be an interesting transfer window if this rumbles on, will players want to move to these clubs with so much doubt, will players want out. Although really, at the moment it's just PSG or Munich if you want out, for the big players.
 
He said that? didn't do much or say much when they were paying him did he. He's being a right pr!ck about this. Holier than though twat as he plunges money into a club to beat all it's competitors. Doing exactly what City, Chelsea, Madrid, Barca etc. have done.

Of course it's about money. As far as I'm aware, it's only about mid week European football, that I was priced out of years ago. So I couldn't care less. In fact if they are going to do PPV then I'd be up for it.

He was actually pretty honest about the whole situation he admitted it was hard for him as a player to speak out and Carra was the same about the owners at his club. He said once the club was a plc he knew someone could buy it they had no control over who owned the club that was down to shareholders.

He'd argue he's investing his money into a football club taking a team from non league to the football league building up facilities for the local community yes he gets something out of it at the end but he rightly pointed out last night he employs 600 people in Manchester through his various businesses.

It is funny watching Sky squirm over this given what they have done to football access over the last 30 years and to be fair again last night they spoke about it but both the ex players said that money that came in 30 years ago has probably changed football for the better. It helped rebuild the stadiums, it helped bring back our best players from Italy, it made grounds much more inclusive but yes it came at a cost as the subscriptions kept going up but that's driven by the clubs pushing up the bids.

If this new competition required qualification it might have more support from fans a lot of fans don't like UEFA which is fine so start an alternative competition but make teams qualify. The moment you say it's going to be the same 15 teams every year regardless of how good they actually are for me the contest has no merit. Yes it is only a midweek thing currently but if this gets off the ground it will grow and eventually it will take over maybe becoming 40 teams over 2 divisions with a seperate cup competition.

One of the reasons the European Cup is so rubbish now is because for years UEFA has had to have a foot in both camps they've had to keep the smaller nations onside while giving the big clubs everything they want. So this new format we have which is worse than the current one is driven by the greed of the clubs.
 
It's going to be an interesting transfer window if this rumbles on, will players want to move to these clubs with so much doubt, will players want out. Although really, at the moment it's just PSG or Munich if you want out, for the big players.

Think more interesting will be how do the players react in general.

Does their current contract require them to play in this new tournament?
If FIFA/UEFA bans them from international football will they want to play in it?
If there are restrictions on them in terms of salary caps or how transfers work will they have to fight in through the courts in the UK and EU?

Talk of banning the players from the Euro's this summer I think is ridiculous these players have had no say in this punishing them would be outrageous.

My guess is every player will be thinking new contract as soon as it's confirmed and the money lands in the club bank accounts.

So far every player they've asked about it doesn't seem to like the idea and if more and more come out against the proposal will that be enough to knock it back.

I think PSG eventually end up joining they've got a bit of sticky ground at the moment because Bein sport hold the CL rights in a lot of countries across the world plus the Qatar world cup in 2022 means they need to be careful with FIFA.
 
He'd argue he's investing his money into a football club taking a team from non league to the football league building up facilities for the local community yes he gets something out of it at the end but he rightly pointed out last night he employs 600 people in Manchester through his various businesses
Exactly what I mean, he's a hypocrite, he hires 600 people big deal, how many do Man Utd, Chelsea hire? He can say what he wants to make himself feel better, he is Roman Ambromovich of lower league football, buying and bullying his way to success. Financed by the clubs and people he is now slagging off. I don't recall him asking to leave united and play for Ipswich when the Glazers joined. He took the money.

It would be worth the subscription to see Sky squirm about this haha, they could be out of business soon.

As for international football and players rights, I bet this new leagues law team have been all over that, they know what they are doing. If you're right, and there is no way back now. It will blow over, the FA's will come around, what will La Liga, Serie A and the Prem be without those clubs. The premier league becomes the championship as far as TV deals go if they throw them out.

If they are right, and they need better TV deals from Asia to be able to sustain all the wages and costs around football, then this might be the answer. Look at the debts of these clubs, this is because fans want the best players, players want wages that are ridiculous to the normal man. They earn in a year what many of us wouldn't earn in a lifetime. There should have been a salary cap years ago.

Football players and clubs have been greedy since the prem/Sky started, this was always going to be the result.
 
As far as I'm aware, it's only about mid week European football, that I was priced out of years ago.
It's not though; it has a profound effect on the domestic leagues.

In the EPL, there will be six teams not bothered about qualifying for a ECL place. So how do you sort out who does qualify for the ECL? Why should the 'big six' bother in the league once its clear they're not going to be that year's winner? You'd have to radically alter the rewards for positions in order to maintain competitiveness.

So this is forcing the domestic leagues to make changes they don't need to make.

How will this fit in with the ECL? You can't expect UEFA just to scrap its European competitions. Is there a big enough demand to televise both competitions?

How will this effect the popularity of domestic football? Will broadcasters still be willing to pay as much for domestic football TV rights?

This seems like the thin edge of a very thick wedge that clubs are using to prise the game away from its governing bodies. The end point will be a number of impoverished domestic tournaments being used as feeders for mega European super leagues.
 
O-Dog, you probably missed my posts yesterday, yeah the idea as it stands stinks, I agree, I don't think it will end up like that, it needs promotion and relegation.
I think they will force UEFA out, and have two European leagues that replace the two European competitions.

But if their current idea is the final one, it's stupid. I would think it's the starting point, so they can negotiate with the leagues and seem to give up portions of their plan.

Who knows, but yeah current proposed format won't work.

of course I'm just guessing, but surely this can't actually be their idea!
 
Here's a sad point, would it even matter to them if the fans revolt? How much do united get on Matchday? how much will they get from China and USA for TV deals.

That is the reality of football, that was born by Sky/Prem
 
Exactly what I mean, he's a hypocrite, he hires 600 people big deal, how many do Man Utd, Chelsea hire? He can say what he wants to make himself feel better, he is Roman Ambromovich of lower league football, buying and bullying his way to success. Financed by the clubs and people he is now slagging off. I don't recall him asking to leave united and play for Ipswich when the Glazers joined. He took the money.

It would be worth the subscription to see Sky squirm about this haha, they could be out of business soon.

As for international football and players rights, I bet this new leagues law team have been all over that, they know what they are doing. If you're right, and there is no way back now. It will blow over, the FA's will come around, what will La Liga, Serie A and the Prem be without those clubs. The premier league becomes the championship as far as TV deals go if they throw them out.

If they are right, and they need better TV deals from Asia to be able to sustain all the wages and costs around football, then this might be the answer. Look at the debts of these clubs, this is because fans want the best players, players want wages that are ridiculous to the normal man. They earn in a year what many of us wouldn't earn in a lifetime. There should have been a salary cap years ago.

Football players and clubs have been greedy since the prem/Sky started, this was always going to be the result.

I'd be surprised if Utd employ more than 600 people directly all the match day staff are employed through agencies.

Also, how else are clubs supposed to rise through leagues this is the way it's always worked clubs get financial backing they generally move up leagues as long as that money is safe guarded so the clubs don't go bust over night if they pull the plug what is actually wrong with that? I don't like City or Chelsea suddenly being super rich but why shouldn't they be allowed to compete. This is exactly what a "super league" will stop no more new challengers.

The clubs don't need more money what they need to do is get a grip on their costs and drive down the players wages. They already own the market they should not have allowed costs to get out of control in the way they have because they've been to afraid to work together. The pandemic gave them a chance to group together and say enough is enough the transfer fees will no longer be paid at the levels they were and new contracts for players will be lower than last time. Where else can the players go? All the clubs needed to do was work together within the current structure to drive down costs.

Of course the lawyers will be all over it but these things need to be tested in court but how will it work in terms of a players registration which is regulated by FIFA if this new league isn't recognised by FIFA players may need a seperate contract for super leagues.

I think Sky have known for a while their business model is massively under threat from streaming services they even released a statement saying they have not been part of any discussions regarding the rights to this new competition. It's almost nailed on this new competition will be dealt with through a streaming service.

The debts are the only reason the Spanish/Italian clubs are in they need access to cash quickly so they've joined up with the PL clubs, the French clubs will follow soon I reckon as their TV deal has collapsed and the Germans I think will eventually be in as well if they can sell it to the fans. My guess is from France it'll be PSG/Lyon plus Dortmund/Bayern and it will end up being 16 founder clubs if the German's don't join I expect there will be a third French club who come in like Marseilles.
 
Here's a sad point, would it even matter to them if the fans revolt? How much do united get on Matchday? how much will they get from China and USA for TV deals.

That is the reality of football, that was born by Sky/Prem

I guess it comes down to how much will fans watch if grounds are empty or only half full?

Part of the experience watching on TV is the crowd and wanting to be part of that crowd even though you know you might never be able to be at that game.

There were some quotes doing the rounds yesterday where one of the presidents referred to fans as "legacy fans" like us they know won't support it but they almost aren't interested in them they are looking to the "fans of the future."
 
All you lot going on about the morals etc! will you stop please!. These clubs are businesses, all businesses are and should be profit driven. However the product needs to suit the consumer or it dies.
This is in the hands of the fans. If this goes through I will no longer be a United supporter. Simple.
 
IF this goes ahead ,IF then once it’s all set up and advertised and looks like the super bowl on television the fans will be loving it and play along and forget all about the “Grass Roots”
 
I don't think it is possible in any way, but they are talking on the radio about the government enforcing a law where 51% of the clubs need to be in fan ownership. Like Germany.

I would absolutely love it if they somehow could bring that law in, and wave goodbye to the glazers.


It was Lord Jim O'Neill on the radio discussing it. haha, good lad.
 
Everton release a statement ...

Everton is saddened and disappointed to see proposals of a breakaway league pushed forward by six clubs.

Six clubs acting entirely in their own interests.

Six clubs tarnishing the reputation of our league and the game.

Six clubs choosing to disrespect every other club with whom they sit around the Premier League table.

Six clubs taking for granted and even betraying the majority of football supporters across our country and beyond.

At this time of national and international crisis - and a defining period for our game - clubs should be working together collaboratively with the ideals of our game and its supporters uppermost.

Instead, these clubs have been secretly conspiring to break away from a football pyramid that has served them so well.

And in that Pyramid Everton salutes EVERY club, be it Leicester City, Accrington Stanley, Gillingham, Lincoln City, Morecambe, Southend United, Notts County and the rest who have, with their very being, enriched the lives of their supporters throughout the game’s history. And vice versa.

The self-proclaimed Super Six appear intent on disenfranchising supporters across the game - including their own - by putting the very structure that underpins the game we love under threat.

The backlash is understandable and deserved – and has to be listened to.

This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan.

On behalf of everyone associated with Everton, we respectfully ask that the proposals are immediately withdrawn and that the private meetings and subversive practises that have brought our beautiful game to possibly its lowest ever position in terms of trust end now.

Finally we would ask the owners, chairmen, and Board members of the six clubs to remember the privileged position they hold – not only as custodians of their clubs but also custodians of the game. The responsibility they carry should be taken seriously.

We urge them all to consider what they wish their legacy to be.

Everton FC Board of Directors



 
Instead, these clubs have been secretly conspiring to break away from a football pyramid that has served them so well
don't get that, they have said more money will filter down. Of course the other clubs will be upset about it, because if UEFA do force them out of the leagues, They lose huge revenue.

There is going to be an almighty fight between these clubs, UEFA/FIFA and the FA's.

It's quite interesting really
 
The new league will be governed by its 15 founding members. No mention of FIFA. In essence, it's not association football. It's not governed by any football association body. The founding members will be free to make whatever rule changes they want.

It's potentially a new sport. Like the split between rugby union and league.
 
Will the money trickle down? Hasn't it been proven through even the Champions League and Premier League over the last 30 years that money doesn't trickle down. I would guess the average salary in the PL is around 50 times the average salary in league two. The income disparity is probably even bigger at clubs PL clubs have budgets probably close to 100 times what a league two club has. I bet those gaps where nowhere near that big in the 80's. Trickle down economics is basically a lie just look at how the rich have got richer over the last decades and how companies like Amazon treat their employees.

Yes business is business but in business you have an obligation to negotiate in good faith which these teams clearly haven't done they attempted a power grab on the PL with "project big picture" that failed to pay off so they've now gone down a different route. They've spent months negotiating changes to the Champions League with UEFA basically saying they were happy with the new format on the Friday then pulling the pin on Sunday the day before the changes they wanted are all approved.
 
The new league will be governed by its 15 founding members. No mention of FIFA. In essence, it's not association football. It's not governed by any football association body. The founding members will be free to make whatever rule changes they want.

It's potentially a new sport. Like the split between rugby union and league.
that's true, but the leagues will need to make a decison won't they, if UEFA say they can't play in the leagues, and the leagues say they will be devalued by throwing the clubs out. That's what's intersting in the power struggle.
 
Or UEFA/FIFA get replaced and the leagues deal with the new super league
 
Apparently one of the legal routes open to Boris Johnson is a law than bans any game of football that isn't organised by the FA apparently there is a similar law in France and Germany.

Clubs trying to justify this as safeguarding the future of the game is absolute nonsense they just want to make as much money as possible and have as much control as possible.
 
Apparently one of the legal routes open to Boris Johnson is a law than bans any game of football that isn't organised by the FA apparently there is a similar law in France and Germany
think he might have a problem with the lawyers and that. How can he say one group of people can organise something, but others can't. Who knows, I guess it's a route to explore.

My favoured route would be one I spoke about earlier, make all clubs have to be 51% fan owned, as this would drive out all the businessmen once and for all. Again, don' t know how you get that passed, it's all too late.

I would think, for it to work, the FA would eventually sign up to something, or the money wouldn't filter down. They cannot afford to lose those 6 clubs out the league. It will kill the game.
 
All you lot going on about the morals etc! will you stop please!. These clubs are businesses, all businesses are and should be profit driven. However the product needs to suit the consumer or it dies.
This is in the hands of the fans. If this goes through I will no longer be a United supporter. Simple.
In theory, this is 100% in the hands of the fans. If we stop going to the footballl, cancel our tv subscriptions, refuse to buy merch and only support the direct rivals of the sponsors, then the money dries up and this dies. In practice, it's like asking all the meth heads to get together and boycott their dealers to make the drug problem go away.

I was listening to the Monday Night Club last night and realized when they referred to fans they're thinking of the local match going supporters, the ones the Glazers don't like because they call local radio and complain, they protest and chant and wear green and gold scarves, and do all the things that fans can do to make change. The supporters the Glazers are referring to are the ones who watch on tv, in places like India, China, the US, Africa etc. Those are the fans this Super League is designed to monetize, at the expense of the locals. That's the consumer the Glazers are suiting here.
 
Will the money trickle down? Hasn't it been proven through even the Champions League and Premier League over the last 30 years that money doesn't trickle down. I would guess the average salary in the PL is around 50 times the average salary in league two. The income disparity is probably even bigger at clubs PL clubs have budgets probably close to 100 times what a league two club has. I bet those gaps where nowhere near that big in the 80's. Trickle down economics is basically a lie just look at how the rich have got richer over the last decades and how companies like Amazon treat their employees.

Yes business is business but in business you have an obligation to negotiate in good faith which these teams clearly haven't done they attempted a power grab on the PL with "project big picture" that failed to pay off so they've now gone down a different route. They've spent months negotiating changes to the Champions League with UEFA basically saying they were happy with the new format on the Friday then pulling the pin on Sunday the day before the changes they wanted are all approved.
Listen to Tim Vickery talk about South American leagues and how they've been destroyed by becoming feeder leagues for Europe. Yes the financials are a bit more sketchy than in England, bit if the PL becomes a feeder league just like the SA leagues are, the same will happen.
 
I was listening to the Monday Night Club last night and realized when they referred to fans they're thinking of the local match going supporters, the ones the Glazers don't like because they call local radio and complain, they protest and chant and wear green and gold scarves, and do all the things that fans can do to make change. The supporters the Glazers are referring to are the ones who watch on tv, in places like India, China, the US, Africa etc. Those are the fans this Super League is designed to monetize, at the expense of the locals. That's the consumer the Glazers are suiting here.

Yeah, the Super League peeps referred to 'legacy fans'. They've explicitly said they're targeting the newer, younger fans.
 

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