Champions League restructuring

[dr.chekov]

This is great from the Spirit of Shankly lot...

https://twitter.com/spiritofshankly/status/1384841145323343875

[tomd2103]

Just wonder if they caught wind that the other 14 properly discussed kicking them out of the Premier League at their meeting yesterday and realised the severity of the situation they faced.

[john e]

for me I don’t think the American owners give a shit about UEFA or FIFA or the other 14 clubs or the so-called Football family of supporters

What they thought was  as long as their own supporters were getting Guaranteed Champions/Super League football every year with massive income streams to Hoover up all the best players they would all be on side as would the managers and players and they would drive it through not giving two hoots about any of the other football clubs left behind

What they didn’t bank on was Chelsea fans protesting in the street Liverpool fans protesting at their ground etc saying this isn’t the way we want it
High profile ex-players from their own clubs calling them scavengers was never a part of how they thought it would play out

that for me is why it never went ahead
For all its faults this country has a love of sport and a sense of fair play which marks it out

American Sporting franchise holders just can’t get their head around that and just don’t understand it
I don’t even think it’s the same in mainland Europe if it wasn’t for the English clubs backing down it would all still be going forward

As Dean Smith said he’s never seen Football come together like it did with this threat of a super league and in a lot of ways it it was good to see

(i’m also aware that one of our joint owners is also American)

[Rudy Can't Fail]

This is great from the Spirit of Shankly lot...

https://twitter.com/spiritofshankly/status/1384841145323343875

It's certainly spot on about UEFA and the new Champions league deal. It's one step away from the ESL proposal though I imagine it will all get brushed under the carpet.

[chrisw1]

Spurs can knock 15-20% off their debt by selling Kane and Son this summer.  Same with Liverpool selling Salah & Mane (if anybody can afford them).  Fuck them, let them compete on a level playing field like the rest of us.

The Champions league was a terrible development in footballing, it's just skewed finances too far.  Extending it with some almost guaranteed entries is a terrible idea.

[cdbearsfan]

Yeah, when we were in the shit Tottenham tried to rip us off and take Grealish off us for pennies. When they're in the shit, even though they have a new stadium funded mostly by taxpayers, we should bend the rules to help them out? Bollocks.

We'll give you thirty million for Kane and Son. Now shut up moaning and take the money.

[Somniloquism]

This is great from the Spirit of Shankly lot...

https://twitter.com/spiritofshankly/status/1384841145323343875

It's certainly spot on about UEFA and the new Champions league deal. It's one step away from the ESL proposal though I imagine it will all get brushed under the carpet.

The thing is wasn't this change, the original champs league changes and all that put in place because the big clubs keep on moaning and threatening their own leagues. Yes, UEFA will pocket extra cash but this week just shows that it is the pressure from the big clubs always wanting more doing these changes and most times the authorities probably wouldn't change it alot.

[KevinGage]

I can't see there being any points deductions etc.

My main problem is the through the back door reforms to the Champs League where there's more games (and they'll be moaning about fixture congestion and wanting 5 subs) and big clubs are guaranteed qualification from past achievments.  If Utd finish 6th they'd still get a place.  I want to see these clubs struggle if they don't qualify, it's the only way there can ever be something approaching a level playing field.  The financial gap is already too wide - we shouldn't be bending to these clubs greed and allowing it to widen further.

Yes, in the spirit of 'fairness and compromise' I can see the five subs rule (as a minimum) getting through now. Which on its own will let the Wanky 6 stockpile more players and guarantee them more game time.Thus weighting the thing in their favour even more.  But give Pep and Klopp what they want because they spoke out for the greater good when the heinous ESL looked like coming to pass for a moment.

One aspect of this whole episode I've not seen mentioned much is the role Sky have taken. Probably because this is the one time in a decade when 'Breaking News' actually means something ...

Most people are getting their information and much of their 'take' on this from the Sky coverage so they bear a bit of scrutiny.

- 'The Top 6' idea is one created, heavily promoted and massively supported by Sky. Remember all the discussions about no-one in previous years getting a look-in for live games, the select few always being the ones for 'in-depth' puff pieces and filmed inserts of their star players and managers?
- Their coverage in the early parts of this story was consistently NOT from the fans and society point of view; most emphatically not. They covered it as a business/financial news organisation would cover a story, not as a sports story. Implicitly taking the owners' viewpoint therefore. 'It's just business, don't take it personally.'
- It's only when the fan reaction, the drastic threats from FIFA and UEFA and (*spit*) BoJo the Dancing Clown weighed into the fray that the narrative changed. They did not do that, they just noticed it.
- How do you think they have all these 'inside contacts' that feed them their scoops? The organisation is embedded deep within these large companies because they allow them to act as their stenographers.

I think some of their reporting today has been pretty hypocritical and it shows.

As others have said, Neville was vocal on the subject.  But it's interesting how forthright he was allowed to be when it was something clearly against the interests of Sky.

When there have been managers and fans at all parts of the food chain complaining about scheduling and moving kick-off times etc that gets minimised to phuck and you won't hear lengthy debates from Neville and co.

You've got the TV money, what more do you want. We've got the canned crowd noise, we don't really need you anyway.

[PaulWinch again]

Spurs can knock 15-20% off their debt by selling Kane and Son this summer.  Same with Liverpool selling Salah & Mane (if anybody can afford them).  Fuck them, let them compete on a level playing field like the rest of us.

The Champions league was a terrible development in footballing, it's just skewed finances too far.  Extending it with some almost guaranteed entries is a terrible idea.

Kane is a fine player but who can afford an injury prone (who suffers the same type of injury) 28 year old with 3+ years on their contract. Citeh or PSG could but is he their type of player? I doubt it.

Unless Spurs wanted to accept a much lower than expected fee, which is counterproductive when dealing with their debt, then I can’t see it happening.

[Sexual Ealing]

Spurs and their supernegotiator appear to have done badly at a negotiation. Again. They can fuck off, and take their stadium with them. See also: Arsenal, who at least don't pretend not to be a clown show.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

This is great from the Spirit of Shankly lot...

https://twitter.com/spiritofshankly/status/1384841145323343875

It's certainly spot on about UEFA and the new Champions league deal. It's one step away from the ESL proposal though I imagine it will all get brushed under the carpet.

It's correct but nothing different than has been discussed on H&V.
The fans of the scab 6 could learn a lot by talking and listening to the fans of the PL14 whose clubs didn't try to sh-t on everybody else.

[chrisw1]

Spurs can knock 15-20% off their debt by selling Kane and Son this summer.  Same with Liverpool selling Salah & Mane (if anybody can afford them).  Fuck them, let them compete on a level playing field like the rest of us.

The Champions league was a terrible development in footballing, it's just skewed finances too far.  Extending it with some almost guaranteed entries is a terrible idea.

Kane is a fine player but who can afford an injury prone (who suffers the same type of injury) 28 year old with 3+ years on their contract. Citeh or PSG could but is he their type of player? I doubt it.

Unless Spurs wanted to accept a much lower than expected fee, which is counterproductive when dealing with their debt, then I can’t see it happening.

Kane is arguably the best striker in the world in his prime.  I know a lot of clubs are skint but I still think clubs will fall over eachother to buy him.

[dr.chekov]

This is great from the Spirit of Shankly lot...

https://twitter.com/spiritofshankly/status/1384841145323343875

It's certainly spot on about UEFA and the new Champions league deal. It's one step away from the ESL proposal though I imagine it will all get brushed under the carpet.

It's correct but nothing different than has been discussed on H&V.
The fans of the scab 6 could learn a lot by talking and listening to the fans of the PL14 whose clubs didn't try to sh-t on everybody else.

And vice versa. It was protests from the supporters of those six clubs that made the difference. Their owners wouldn’t have given a shit if it was just Villa or Leeds or Everton fans protesting. But because it was their own fans they had to listen.

And SoS aren’t talking about making things better just for Liverpool, they are talking about making things better for the fans of every club.

[sickbeggar]

After the protests last night, Spurs fans unite to call out Levy and his part in the ESL before the game. 

[PaulWinch again]

Spurs can knock 15-20% off their debt by selling Kane and Son this summer.  Same with Liverpool selling Salah & Mane (if anybody can afford them).  Fuck them, let them compete on a level playing field like the rest of us.

The Champions league was a terrible development in footballing, it's just skewed finances too far.  Extending it with some almost guaranteed entries is a terrible idea.

Kane is a fine player but who can afford an injury prone (who suffers the same type of injury) 28 year old with 3+ years on their contract. Citeh or PSG could but is he their type of player? I doubt it.

Unless Spurs wanted to accept a much lower than expected fee, which is counterproductive when dealing with their debt, then I can’t see it happening.

Kane is arguably the best striker in the world in his prime.  I know a lot of clubs are skint but I still think clubs will fall over eachother to buy him.

I think the teams likely to be able to afford him would be after Mbappe or Haaland first.