Champions League restructuring

[Damo70]

Peter Crouch on BT Sport. "Why do some of these clubs think they have rights and entitlement above and beyond Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest who have actually won European Cups unlike the likes of Arsenal".

Well said Crouchy.

[Exeter 77]

Irony donor required.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11685/12285338/karren-brady-premier-league-big-six-called-worse-than-snakes-during-meeting-of-other-14-says-west-ham-vice-chairman

[Sexual Ealing]

Irony donor required.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11685/12285338/karren-brady-premier-league-big-six-called-worse-than-snakes-during-meeting-of-other-14-says-west-ham-vice-chairman

*Holds nose* Karren Brady is right. *Vomits*

But this can't be a stitch-up where the execs get canned and the clubs carry on as normal. There surely has to be a variety of sanctions applied to them for this.

[Nunkin1965]

Barney Ronay on form in the Graun:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/24/super-leagues-dumbing-down-of-youth-laid-bare-a-brainchild-of-stupid-old-men

A really interesting piece.
The assumption by these owners that supporters would just accept this course of action could never work at the speed they were trying to implement change.
And quite how they come back from this is anyones guess.

[Monty]

Real sign Alaba on 500k pw, now trying to borrow money for Mbappé, while Juve are willing to make Donnarumma the highest paid keeper in history.

European Deadbeat League.

[Axl Rose]

I've always disliked any club that calls itself "the people's club" or any variety thereof. Sanctimonious wankspawn.

“This means more”. Copyright Liverpool FC.

The worst of the lot.

[OCD]

Real sign Alaba on 500k pw, now trying to borrow money for Mbappé, while Juve are willing to make Donnarumma the highest paid keeper in history.

European Deadbeat League.

That's what gets me. Real and Barcelona seem to need the Super League because their finances are such a mess but they wouldn't be so desperate if they ran their clubs better. They're forever using debt and paying stupid wages and transfer fees, never trying to steady their ships. You would have thought Real would have learnt when they had to sell their training ground many years ago.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

But this can't be a stitch-up where the execs get canned and the clubs carry on as normal. There surely has to be a variety of sanctions applied to them for this.

Absolutely. Will it happen? I very much doubt it. All swept under the carpet (until the next time). As that article points out, they messed up with the meritocracy; get that right and watch them sale away into the distance. It really shouldn't have come as a big surprise, the Group of 16 European clubs have been controlling UEFA by the short and curlies for over a decade. First action should be to remove the seeding from European club competitions. I remember Forest playing Liverpool in the first round of the European Cup. Now there were two games fans wanted to watch.

[Monty]

RCF, what was the reaction the the ESL in Portugal? I can't imagine Sporting and Porto enjoyed being told they were smaller clubs than Spurs.

[cdbearsfan]

A transfer (incoming) ban would be appropriate. You say you're skint, let's help you out by stopping you spending any more money.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

RCF, what was the reaction the the ESL in Portugal? I can't imagine Sporting and Porto enjoyed being told they were smaller clubs than Spurs.

Porto are/were members of the secret Group of 16 so I imagine they were lined up to join though they claim they declined initial approaches. I think the government would have put a halt to them signing up young and talented South Americans, something they're brilliant at and financially benefit from every bloody year. Benfica were lobbying to join and Sporting if invited would have probably sold their place to the highest bidder.

[Monty]

Bit like the Old Firm then I guess, only meaningful.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Bit like the Old Firm then I guess, only meaningful.

Well Benfica are massive like Celtic, worldwide following but earn next to nothing in TV revenue; Porto are a more successful version of Sevco, crazy fans defenders of the north but without the nastiness, anger and hate. Sporting are like Hibs, lovely club, friendly fans, win something every blue moon but fail to build on it as they have to sell all their best players.

[Toronto Villa]

I realize some of the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese sides scour S.America for raw talent and bring them over but love for us to cast a wider net. Of course the language piece helps those sides out in recruiting, but I still find our scouting too narrow and risk averse. Get some top young talent and loan them out if needed so they get permits or acclimatize to Europe. We shouldn’t need to buy British and with our finances I hope we have a network that finds players like Porto, Sporting or Benfica does.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The UK Home Office won't grant work visas. Then you have the problem of who actually owns the player. It's a very messy business dealing with South American players.