gazza ladra

... and a points deduction. The lack of incoming transfers and prima donnas leaving for CL football (and the chance to work with David Moyes!) will put some of them into serious relegation fights. A six pointer between Arsenal and Tottenham on the last day of the season. I'd pay serious money to watch that.

I'd read that FIFA had some sort of rule against this sort of thing, but then there are so many exceptions to this supposed rule (Monaco in League1, Welsh clubs in the Premier League, the joint US-Canada MLS), I wonder if I had just imagined it or, more likely, FIFA routinely bends the rule for a fee.

They used to have some sort of Scandinavian Super League about 20 years back with the best teams from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Don't know what happened there.

20 point penalty would put Arsenal in the relegation zone. Liverpool and Spurs on the brink. Ahead of Burnley on goal difference.

The Scottish football pyramid could slide in alongside the National League North and South. Add a National League Scotland. Celtic and Rangers could earn their way in from there. Apologies, but would they add that many new viewers to instantly earn a cut of the Premier League broadcast revenue?

Fine, maybe it benefits the Premier League and the business end of Celtic and Rangers. But is that what their fans want? And if they do want it, by what right ahould they be admitted at the top tier of English football?

Not much of a joke. Who wants this? Celtic and Rangers fans? Scottish fans? English fans? American investors? Who?

Celtic and Rangers joining League One?

Barcelona and the two Madrids are going ahead with this? So, the CL, as things stand Sevilla Villareal Real Betis Real Sociedad And the Milan clubs save face? Inter AC Atalanta Napoli

What does that even mean? The clubs must be punished.

Mid week games featuring three clubs from Spain and three from Italy.

Man, that statement from Liverpool. Compare that to Everton's statement yesterday. Not a good look. Stakeholders? FFS.

Somebody is desperate. Got to be somebody in some serious financial trouble to be pushing ahead so recklessly.

Gee, that's too bad.

Holy Fucking Shit. I step away for a couple of hours to try to do some work and...

Agreed. I am an American and I love the pyramid (promotion and relegation). Our sports culture would be much richer if we had it.

Also, the salary cap. They have a hard salary cap in the NFL. Anybody can win the league. It's an actual meritocracy. Baseball on the other hand is massively fucked up. About 20 years back they passed an incredible barrier where a single player for the Yankees was earning more per year than all the players at an entire club.

Complete aside. Just saw Schalke in the top 20 of the Deloitte Money League. Ouch. Somebody done fucked up.

Going to be?

Well then they have nothing to lose. If it's that bad, what choice have they got? They spent themselves into a corner. It's ESL or bust. If the governing bodies call their bluff, we could see a few really big clubs "do a Leeds". (please please please)

I suspect that Man City and Chelsea aside, they are all in serious financial trouble. It's a gambit for survival.

I expect he's also a vindictive shit. Here's hoping he's looking for some payback.

The sense of entitlement is bizarre. Yes, they have a huge international following and a lot of recent success, but they've bought it, all of it. Their plastic fans would be following Blackburn or Leeds if they had bought their way to success. They genuinely think that the league will fold without them?

The breakaway Super League has a much better chance of succeeding if their fans rally behind the idea. As much as I'd like to bury those clubs, I think we need to keep to keep the fans -- the people, onside. I not sure how to do that. On the other hand... I don't know how many times I've read some ManU or Liverpool fan express the opinion that nobody will care about the Premier League without them. So, f*** em.