European Super League | All six PL teams withdraw from ESL

[Rousseau 9,361]

9 hours ago, Bill said:

This seems to have nothing at all to do with football or any notion of sporting competition ... and everything to do with a business model based on monopoly and assured income. How you regard it depends on which of those two issues is most important to you. In both sporting and business terms it appears to be a natural evolution of a process that's been operating in football for the last 20 years, since the Premier League and Sky Sports first showed what could be done to bring money and fans into the game, and UEFA allowed the "elite" clubs to dominate the Champions League. 

 

Initially, I didn't think this would work but having thought about it for a day I'm inclined to think it probably can't be stopped. Once the TV companies and main sponsors decide to move their interest to the Super League (and they will), the game will be up for UEFA, which will be forced to seek survival in an agreement with the Super League.

 

This is what you get when you sell your clubs to American owners. You could be forgiven for thinking this plan has been quietly cooking for several years. If this monster takes root it will squeeze the life out of those clubs who have mortgaged their souls to feed at the big boys' trough. Personally, I wish these Super League clubs would just move to become actual US franchises - if they did it might improve the European game immeasurably.

I said as much above: surely, if you take out these super clubs (Bayern and PSG, notwithstanding), we are left with a better competitive and financial situation. 

[Rousseau 9,361]

I'm intrigued to see what will come of the talks between the other 14 PL clubs this morning. 

 

I wonder what punishments could be imposed? Some are talking about banning them, kicking them out of the PL, but I think that's highly unlikely.

[Bill 13,717]

2 hours ago, Rousseau said:

I said as much above: surely, if you take out these super clubs (Bayern and PSG, notwithstanding), we are left with a better competitive and financial situation. 

Yes, but only if they leave the European arena altogether and feed off another market. If the Super League goes ahead it will be the next step in progressively bleeding dry the rest of the game in Europe, just like the Champions League has done by allowing 5 countries to dominate access to it and its financial proceeds. Clubs like Rangers only survive at the current level because we are able to dip our toes into the perimeter of the UEFA money pot. Once that goes.......

 

It's no good saying we'll be left with a more competitive and financially attractive situation when they form a Super League ... if they take all the money with them. What will happen is that the rest will compete for a share of a much smaller pot.

[Bill 13,717]

2 hours ago, Rousseau said:

I'm intrigued to see what will come of the talks between the other 14 PL clubs this morning. 

 

I wonder what punishments could be imposed? Some are talking about banning them, kicking them out of the PL, but I think that's highly unlikely.

I don't hold out much hope for being able to apply meaningful sanctions. When you see the financial strength behind the Super League, you know that teams of the best lawyers have been gaming this situation for many months and will bury the FA or UEFA in court for as long as it takes to see their proposal fulfilled. We'll see, it will certainly be more entertaining than watching the Champions League.

[Rousseau 9,361]

3 minutes ago, Bill said:

Yes, but only if they leave the European arena altogether and feed off another market. If the Super League goes ahead it will be the next step in progressively bleeding dry the rest of the game in Europe, just like the Champions League has done by allowing 5 countries to dominate access to it and its financial proceeds. Clubs like Rangers only survive at the current level because we are able to dip our toes into the perimeter of the UEFA money pot. Once that goes.......

 

It's no good saying we'll be left with a more competitive and financially attractive situation when they form a Super League ... if they take all the money with them. What will happen is that the rest will compete for a share of a much smaller pot.

True, but I don't see audiences turning their back on what is left; I think it's a better product, or has the potential to be. 

[Bill 13,717]

6 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

True, but I don't see audiences turning their back on what is left; I think it's a better product, or has the potential to be. 

I can't see it. It's the same clubs who compete for the same trophies every year. I've already stopped watching the CL  or having any interest in who's winning or losing. You might even say it's only the rare spectacle of a "lesser" club making unexpected progress that lends any interest at all. They're not changing the product, merely their share of it and removing any risk of not being at the top table forever.

[Rousseau 9,361]

6 minutes ago, Bill said:

I can't see it. It's the same clubs who compete for the same trophies every year. I've already stopped watching the CL  or having any interest in who's winning or losing. You might even say it's only the rare spectacle of a "lesser" club making unexpected progress that lends any interest at all. They're not changing the product, merely their share of it and removing any risk of not being at the top table forever.

Yes, that's my point: the new ESL is just more of the same, with the same clubs winning all the time. 

 

I think audiences -- like they are with the CL now, as you say -- won't follow the new ESL, they will prefer to watch what is left (a CL without the elite clubs).  

 

I don't know about where the money will go, but surely if audiences prefer product A ('diminished'* CL) over product B (ESL), then it'll go to product A?

 

* I don't know why I deep saying 'diminished': it's better without the elite clubs, IMO.

[Bill 13,717]

9 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

I think audiences -- like they are with the CL now, as you say -- won't follow the new ESL, they will prefer to watch what is left (a CL without the elite clubs).  

I think that's a pretty brave assumption - that people in general watch what they choose. I believe they watch what they're told is the best product and which will reflect well on them if they participate. It's why $578bn was spent on advertising (social conditioning) in 2020. The vast majority of people think what they think, and like what they like, purely because they're told to. We hate to believe that but the evidence is fairly clear.

 

Audiences will go to the Super League because of how it will be sold, packaged, distributed. 

[compo 6,126]

A year with no revenue from hospitality hasn't helped it's one of the reasons the panic button has been pressed but let's face it as an industry football clubs are very badly managed if I ran a large construction outfit these days the way these jokers fun their clubs I would be in trouble. 

Another thing suppose the clubs involved get banned from their leagues by the association's and a further UEFA ban were will that leave international teams without these players 

And given that most of these clubs are soaked in debt it makes me laugh when the Madrid chairman says it's about saving football. 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by compo

[Scott7 5,153]

England will always have a viable domestic league. I wonder if the fourteen would accept a replacement giant from what may soon be a foreign country.