It wouldn’t surprise me if UEFA are behind it as I think these big teams will let UEFA take ownership of it and it will look like they have saved us all.
Aren’t the balance sheets and P&Ls of a couple of those clubs used to underpin investments in the US ? It would be interesting to see if being kicked out of the PL and the European competitions and losing that cash flow will cause a bit of a wobble on the other side of the Atlantic
They won't be losing anything.
They'll be guaranteed (at least initially) around 300m a season just for playing in this super league. More than 3 times what you'd get for actually winning the Champions league.............a competition of course that some of these clubs aren't even in.
Day one. The PL and European cash cows are cut off so who is going to put up the £300 million for each of those clubs and where are they going to get it from ? I suspect those clubs may well be going to be looking for fans to pay per view. Well, they won’t have a bigger pool of away fans buying the games because the super league has less teams; selling it to fans in Africa and Asia ? I can’t see the subscription price being that high to generate the revenue numbers needed. I suspect they could also piss off a lot of their grass roots fans so they could lose those as potential subscribers. They may have already found a group of investment banks to package up the future income and issue a bond for them though it’ll be interesting to see the market reaction to that.
Why would the PL cut anyone off? Surely if you are the Premier League you don’t want to rock the boat too much, as things stand your competition isn’t directly impacted (aside from who is selected for European qualification).
Of course it directly impacts the PL.
The breakaway clubs all get guaranteed annual income to the tunes of billions that give them an even greater advantage in the domestic league.
The fact that the majority of the teams outside the Premier League run at a loss as they bankrupt themselves to get to the promised land means the “money undermining the integrity of the game” ship has already sailed.
If the Premier League are concerned about income streams impacting the integrity of the sport that would be hypocrisy of the highest order.
I agree, but that doesn’t mean giving up on trying to right it/stop it getting worse.
Beyond disgusted with this. I don't know the legalities but I hope its possible for these clubs to be kicked out of their national leagues. I hope there's a massive revolt by their fans and by football fans in general - empty stadiums, cancelled TV subscriptions, boycotts of sponsors. If they can make up for it financially by broadcasting souless games to the Asian and American markets so be it.
“Further, for a number of years, the founding clubs have had the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis."
So they want to improve the quality by excluding clubs that have been better than some of the founding members that season? Riiight.
Aren’t these clubs remaining in their domestic leagues and just playing in a different midweek continental tournament?
I think it’s a bit of a dick move, and the “no relegation” thing is a bit rubbish, but I don’t have quite the same levels of outrage that others seem to have. It’s just swapping one money making construct for another.
Yep and swanning back to domestic football each week with a 300m head start. How the fuck thats fair I dont know.
fully expect them to announce new rules too, no VAR, 3 20 minute periods where the clock stops when the ball is out of play, rolling subs, powerplays, outside the box goals count double, sin bins, you name it they'll probably implement it
Before anyone says anything this won’t happen, but just wondering what JP Morgan would think if all the sponsors, fans and if applicable there businesses / Pensions schemes etc withdrew all there their funds on the same day, might affect there profitability and cause them a few problems.
The owners of these clubs don't give a stuff about the game - it's purely about broadcasting rights and it won't matter if the grounds are empty.
Football is built on tradition and this will destroy it and any element of competition. It's just become a branding exercise.
The only reason fans are watching games being played in an empty stadium is because there is a pandemic and empty-stadium games is all there is. When things start to get back to normal, which games are going to be more attractive to football fans, the Manchester or north London derby in a who gives a shit who wins league or a game with something riding on it being played in front of a stadium full of passionate fans ?
It's the breathtaking arrogance of these clubs that gets me. Especially the likes of Arsenal who are a mid-table premier league team these days! Shocking disregard for their supporters and the entirety of football despite their statement saying otherwise.
I hope the governing bodies do the right thing for once in their lives and hit these clubs hard. Even if this doesn't go ahead the fact these clubs have even announced their plans should mean they get sanctioned in some way.
Premier league would have to kicked them out to save their product. Losing the biggest club would hurt but having them resting players for a bigger competition on a regular basis would hurt more.
Premier league would have to kicked them out to save their product. Losing the biggest club would hurt but having them resting players for a bigger competition on a regular basis would hurt more.
The Premier League relies on TV money to survive. Kick the “big six”, or whatever they’re calling themselves, out and the league will become about as attractive as the SPL - particularly to overseas viewers who make up a large proportion of the TV revenues nowadays.
Aren’t the balance sheets and P&Ls of a couple of those clubs used to underpin investments in the US ? It would be interesting to see if being kicked out of the PL and the European competitions and losing that cash flow will cause a bit of a wobble on the other side of the Atlantic
They won't be losing anything.
They'll be guaranteed (at least initially) around 300m a season just for playing in this super league. More than 3 times what you'd get for actually winning the Champions league.............a competition of course that some of these clubs aren't even in.
Day one. The PL and European cash cows are cut off so who is going to put up the £300 million for each of those clubs and where are they going to get it from ? I suspect those clubs may well be going to be looking for fans to pay per view. Well, they won’t have a bigger pool of away fans buying the games because the super league has less teams; selling it to fans in Africa and Asia ? I can’t see the subscription price being that high to generate the revenue numbers needed. I suspect they could also piss off a lot of their grass roots fans so they could lose those as potential subscribers. They may have already found a group of investment banks to package up the future income and issue a bond for them though it’ll be interesting to see the market reaction to that.
Why would the PL cut anyone off? Surely if you are the Premier League you don’t want to rock the boat too much, as things stand your competition isn’t directly impacted (aside from who is selected for European qualification).
Of course it directly impacts the PL.
The breakaway clubs all get guaranteed annual income to the tunes of billions that give them an even greater advantage in the domestic league.
The fact that the majority of the teams outside the Premier League run at a loss as they bankrupt themselves to get to the promised land means the “money undermining the integrity of the game” ship has already sailed.
If the Premier League are concerned about income streams impacting the integrity of the sport that would be hypocrisy of the highest order.
The Premier League will, no doubt, be like me and despise hypocrisy in others...
Happily, for their oh so moral compass, their objections will be based not on the good of the game, but the health of their balance sheets.
As an aside, any chance of getting the serried ranks of Red Bull teams to join the new breakaway?
Aren’t these clubs remaining in their domestic leagues and just playing in a different midweek continental tournament?
I think it’s a bit of a dick move, and the “no relegation” thing is a bit rubbish, but I don’t have quite the same levels of outrage that others seem to have. It’s just swapping one money making construct for another.
Yep and swanning back to domestic football each week with a 300m head start. How the fuck thats fair I dont know.
As opposed to Champions League teams having a significant financial advantage over the rest of the Premier League and the Premier League teams having a financial advantage over the rest of the Football League?
The numbers are different but the concept is the same.
How does it work in Spain too, doesn't the Spanish FA hold all the contacts to the players, which is why you can buy any player by effectively buying out their contract?
I'd love to see them refuse to release the contract of all Real, Barca and Atletico players, forcing them to start the Super League with no players
Aren’t these clubs remaining in their domestic leagues and just playing in a different midweek continental tournament?
I think it’s a bit of a dick move, and the “no relegation” thing is a bit rubbish, but I don’t have quite the same levels of outrage that others seem to have. It’s just swapping one money making construct for another.
Yep and swanning back to domestic football each week with a 300m head start. How the fuck thats fair I dont know.
As opposed to Champions League teams having a significant financial advantage over the rest of the Premier League and the Premier League teams having a financial advantage over the rest of the Football League?
The numbers are different but the concept is the same.
Apples and oranges dude, champions league isn't a closed off Invite only competition... its a reward for success. Its just not the same in any way.
This is why the big 6 wanted all the voting power in the Premier League isn't it? Get all the power, then launch the ESL and then outvote anyone trying to kick them out of the PL
Aren’t the balance sheets and P&Ls of a couple of those clubs used to underpin investments in the US ? It would be interesting to see if being kicked out of the PL and the European competitions and losing that cash flow will cause a bit of a wobble on the other side of the Atlantic
They won't be losing anything.
They'll be guaranteed (at least initially) around 300m a season just for playing in this super league. More than 3 times what you'd get for actually winning the Champions league.............a competition of course that some of these clubs aren't even in.
Day one. The PL and European cash cows are cut off so who is going to put up the £300 million for each of those clubs and where are they going to get it from ? I suspect those clubs may well be going to be looking for fans to pay per view. Well, they won’t have a bigger pool of away fans buying the games because the super league has less teams; selling it to fans in Africa and Asia ? I can’t see the subscription price being that high to generate the revenue numbers needed. I suspect they could also piss off a lot of their grass roots fans so they could lose those as potential subscribers. They may have already found a group of investment banks to package up the future income and issue a bond for them though it’ll be interesting to see the market reaction to that.
Why would the PL cut anyone off? Surely if you are the Premier League you don’t want to rock the boat too much, as things stand your competition isn’t directly impacted (aside from who is selected for European qualification).
Just guessing but;
a) the PL becomes equivalent to the FA Cup for the Big 6 who play their first teams in the competition that makes them the money and b teams/kids in the PL. b) TV revenue for the PL collapses as the European Super League is where the revenues go
c) this is surely just the "proof of concept/precursor" for a formal break away. Once the clubs prove the international wallet will follow them they will break away altogether and by then it will be too late.
I doubt this will go ahead, but if it does I hope each team's supporters trust are allowed to create a phoenix club which is allowed entry to the prem. I can imagine there would be plenty of very, very rich people queuing up to own the clubs and im sure most fans would boycott the ESL in favour of watching the "new" team. Fuck the owners and the those funding the ESL off completely.
We are coming up to 30 years of the Elitist Premier League and the "big six" were monsters that were created when the hedge fund, oil money, venture Capitalists, etc were allowed to get their hands on clubs that became a brand, soulless, with no heart.
Relegation is an anathema to the greedy half dozen: the ESL Cabal want a monopoly where they are guaranteed the cash cow every season.
Instead of Meritocracy, we have cronyism and Nepotism.
EUFA and FIFA aren't pure, they have officials who have been proven to have taken brown paper envelopes.
This is a power struggle that will be the biggest ever schism in global football.
It’s friggin pointless! The so called super elite want to play each other but isn’t that what the Champions League is all about?
They want a bigger percentage of the European purse, AND no relegation so investors money is protected and they can’t have a bad run for a few years and lose millions.
In essence taking the very heart and soul out of the game .
Comments
Football is built on tradition and this will destroy it and any element of competition. It's just become a branding exercise.
Liverpool play tonight, Chelsea tomorrow, City on Wednesday. Can't imagine they'll be asked about anything else.
So they want to improve the quality by excluding clubs that have been better than some of the founding members that season? Riiight.
it’ll be the end of football for millions of it goes through
I hope the governing bodies do the right thing for once in their lives and hit these clubs hard. Even if this doesn't go ahead the fact these clubs have even announced their plans should mean they get sanctioned in some way.
I will happily ditch my Sky Sports subscription if they get involved.
Happily, for their oh so moral compass, their objections will be based not on the good of the game, but the health of their balance sheets.
As an aside, any chance of getting the serried ranks of Red Bull teams to join the new breakaway?
The numbers are different but the concept is the same.
I'd love to see them refuse to release the contract of all Real, Barca and Atletico players, forcing them to start the Super League with no players
a) the PL becomes equivalent to the FA Cup for the Big 6 who play their first teams in the competition that makes them the money and b teams/kids in the PL.
b) TV revenue for the PL collapses as the European Super League is where the revenues go
about?
Relegation is an anathema to the greedy half dozen: the ESL Cabal want a monopoly where they are guaranteed the cash cow every season.
Instead of Meritocracy, we have cronyism and Nepotism.
EUFA and FIFA aren't pure, they have officials who have been proven to have taken brown paper envelopes.
This is a power struggle that will be the biggest ever schism in global football.