I fell out of love with baseball, NHL (ice hockey) with their strikes. I fell out of love with F1 with the non-competitiveness. Like you, I may also fell out of love for football (it’s already more than half way there without the fans behind our boys. I have pretty much stopped watching other teams play.)
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I heard that’s why we are doing this!
On a serious note it seems it is about autonomy to me, specifically with freedom to negotiate TV rights. As ever, it will be about the $$$.
And then arguably a secondary issue might be FFP, since UEFA just demonstrated that they can’t run a tight ship there, not to mention corruption and other issues. Perhaps the big clubs are thinking they can run it better themselves.
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On a brighter note, Verstappen could give us something worth watching this season, maybe.
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Doesn’t make much sense seeing they invited Shitty.
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As a general note, I think we are too reactionary to this, and negatively so. We are allowed to feel how we feel about things, but nothing is signed sealed and delivered yet, and there will be plenty of room to negotiate.
Based on what I’ve seen so far, it just looks like a new midweek European league for the elite. Maybe some other teams will get in, but the clubs who have made the game the global spectacle it is will want to reap the reward of that by doing their own tv deals.
It’s just money. The game has been on that trajectory for a long time, and this is but another step.
All governing bodies have their own vested interests. They all make many millions and hundreds of millions from the game. They all want more money.
Their reaction is understandable. Their sway, and income, is about to be hit hard. So their first reaction is to threaten to boot teams out of their competitions and also to sue. I don’t think it will come to that, as they won’t want a lose-lose scenario.
As an example, the Premier League is currently, say, a $5Billion ‘product’ globally, due to the global TV interest. If they want to boot out the big six be careful what you wish for! You may find that your $5B product is now worth $1B!
80% pay cuts all round? Nope, didn’t think so!
I’m not holding a candle for the Prem, the FA, the Football League, FIFA or UEFA. They all have their own shortcomings to one degree and another. They are reacting because their income and control is being tested.
I expect the big clubs to largely get what they want - more autonomy and revenue; and I also expect the various domestic leagues to stay intact too. All we are seeing now is a bit of public negotiating.
A while ago there was a proposal that actually gave consideration to the well-being of the lower levels of the game too. John Henry et al were cast as villains in the whole piece, so now they are showing their hand a little, and saying we can do this, and we will, if you don’t give us more of what we want.
I’m not fussed in the slightest by any of this. Whatever will be will be.
My expectation is a win-WIN. Domestic leagues will get their win and the big teams will stay in house. There will probably be money going down the football pyramid too. The elite teams will get their WIN and will get more autonomy, and $$$, to go with their global TV appeal.
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Yep, you may be right.
I would say it is 90% about autonomy, money, tv rights.
And possibly FFP too. Maybe the other clubs have said to City, you can join but wind yer necks in. There’s gonna be plenty of dosh for everyone. We are going to hold you to account better than UEFA managed to do, and if you don’t comply, you are out.
So City, having established themselves as a team at the top table, have gone along with that, as their objective has been met and their owners will see that they have ‘arrived.’ The Man City stuff is speculative on my part…
But I am confident it is mostly to do with money/autonomy/tv revenue.
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On the city FFP thing, I’ve been saying for ages that City want a strong FFP. The last thing they want is another City to deal with. They want to drawbridge to come up, they just want to be on the right side when it does.
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Great post. Most sensible take on this so far.
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Well said Mascot.
That’s why I think City are in, objective achieved, and the other clubs will kick them out if they transgress again, as they will enforce more robust rules than UEFA managed to do. City will go along with this because they have now ‘arrived.’
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Aqua fucking ducts.
Is this ESL going to use VAR?
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this rhetoric makes me seethe
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Tell us more.
To give the whole sentence (which was just a tiny part of a whole post) I suggested, “Maybe some other clubs will get in, but the clubs who have made the game the global spectacle it is will want to reap the reward of that by doing their own tv deals.”
It is a fact that TV audiences favour some teams over others. It is natural the teams will want to monetize that.
I’m not necessarily enamored with the situation, but elite football has long since been a money making enterprise, and the latest developments are just a natural extension of what has been in play for decades. I’m not shocked or surprised.
As for the game, anecdotally and on a personal note, I played at a decent level as a younger man back in the UK (county). Now that I’m in the States my lad plays and I coach his team, both because of a love for the game and also to give back in the community.
I love grass roots, and I love the spectacle of elite football too. Bring it on. This is just an extension of what’s been in play for years. I don’t think we’ve seen the final form yet, but negotiations are going on, publicly and privately, I’m sure.
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Bitters might have a chance to win the PL with 6 teams “kicked out”.
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Nah mate. They’ll still find a way to finish eighth.
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My biggest concern with the ESL is the lack of qualification requirements for the founding members.
We are in a 4-5 team stoush to grab the final couple of CL Spots which means every game is massive.
If we have automatic qualification then games like tomorrow at Leeds are essentially meaningless. The league is gone and we get auto access to the ESL so who cares. Im in Australia and for years have gotten up at all times of the night and early morning(4am for Leeds tomorrow) but I didnt care because the games where all meaningful. This proposal destroys that.
It also destroys other fans and clubs ability to dream about Europran nights. The game needs that aspirational aspect to European competition.
I get why they are doing it. It consolidates their revenue stream regardless of League form/position but this is a competition it is about Earning the right to play at the highest level and giving every club the same opportunity not having it handed to the big clubs.
I would suggest this is a tactic to get a bigger slice of the CL pie but many of thw clubs have been talking about this for many years and a want to control their own TV rights.
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A few months ago, I listened to a podcast here in the States that included a discussion of John Henry’s ownership of the Red Sox. The interviewee - former Marlins President David Samson - basically said that Henry believes firmly that the top baseball clubs should run the sport. He based that off of the way Henry conducted himself during league meetings that Samson attended.
Once I heard that, I figured it was only a matter of time before we’d see some kind of breakaway move. Then we saw Project Big Picture and now the ESL.
This was always FSG’s plan.
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lol. How naive are you?
Then we wouldn’t have Premier League and Champions League as well.
The fulcrum of these money laden competitions are the money laden clubs, making more money.