tgarve Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 If the 'bigger' clubs want to go, let them fuck off. No wonder the TV ratings for the CL are falling - it's a boring stitchup to which only a few are invited. Probably more to do with the games not being on terrestrial TV and the English teams doing badly than any other reason. It's a brilliant competition and should be left the way it is It should be returned to the way it was. Knock-out format and back to the three competitions. 2 competitions is too much Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Bailey Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 If the 'bigger' clubs want to go, let them f*** off. No wonder the TV ratings for the CL are falling - it's a boring stitchup to which only a few are invited. Probably more to do with the games not being on terrestrial TV and the English teams doing badly than any other reason. It's a brilliant competition and should be left the way it is It should be returned to the way it was. Knock-out format and back to the three competitions. Cannot abide the CL concept. fucking awful. Epitomises the whole drive to 'super' teams and the Euro Super league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketsbaia Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 What's Infantino's position on a Super League? The timing is interesting, I hope FIFA threatens them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Galatasaray hit with a 2 years European ban for failing to comply with FFP. I suppose they need to fry some small fish from time to time to make it seem like it's working... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveItIfWeBeatU Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35707372 European breakaway league: Is football about to change forever? By Dan Roan BBC sports editor The beginning of a secret plot to form the most controversial breakaway in football history? Or an innocent catch-up with old friends to discuss a pre-season tournament? A degree of intrigue surrounds a meeting this week of the Premier League's big five clubs at prestigious London hotel The Dorchester. According to The Sun, which broke the story, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea were there to resurrect an idea we have seen mooted in the past - a European super league - this time with American billionaire Stephen Ross. It would be a new competition that would see the biggest English clubs partner with their continental counterparts to form an exclusive, invite-only club. Such a move would mean the end of the Champions League and pose a huge threat to both Uefa, the body that governs European football, and the Premier League. Similar to the outcry that accompanied the Premier League's aborted plans for a '39th game' some years ago, the story sparked an inevitable backlash from those who see such an idea as elitist nonsense, motivated by greedy clubs about to benefit from a record £8bn television deal and already under pressure over the cost of tickets. West Ham co-chairman David Gold told The Daily Telegraph that the plan "would destroy football as we know it", adding: "It's so sad that five clubs all owned by foreigners are even considering it." It has also been noted that the so-called 'big clubs' present at the summit currently lie third (Arsenal), fourth (Manchester City), fifth (Manchester United), eighth (Chelsea) and 11th (Liverpool) in the table. Leaders Leicester City and closest rivals Tottenham, who could go top of the table on Wednesday evening, do not seem to have been invited. Ross himself was not present, the talks held with executives from his company Relevant, which organises increasingly important and very lucrative summer tours and pre-season tournaments - under the guise of the International Champions Cup - for Premier League clubs in the United States, China and Australia. Given how much business Ross has done with these clubs, the meeting should not therefore come as that big a surprise - and future tours and fixtures were also discussed at the meeting. Those present at the gathering insist a breakaway from the Premier League is not on the agenda. However, the talks did focus on possible reform of the Champions League, something that is very much on the agenda within European football's corridors of power. A number of forces are driving this. Last week, the president of Barcelona, Josep Bartomeu, told me that he was in favour of tennis-style 'wild cards', guaranteeing automatic entry to the Champions League for big European clubs that miss out on qualification via their domestic leagues. Many fans despise the idea, believing it would devalue the Champions League and mean unnecessary meddling with the meritocracy, integrity and excitement of domestic competition, as well as adding up to unfair protectionism for the richest clubs. But it is easy to see why this more pragmatic approach, offering greater certainty, would appeal to some. This year, for example, the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all seem likely to miss out on the riches of the Champions League. Thanks to Uefa's huge television deal with BT, an English winner of the competition could now hope to earn around £100m. So failing to qualify is a serious dent on the balance sheet. The problem is that the Premier League's own bumper £5.136bn TV deal has been something of a leveller. Suddenly, clubs like Leicester City are threatening the cosy elite that, since 1992, has enjoyed almost routine entry to Europe's football's premier competition. Manchester United are understood to be in favour of the traditional footballing calendar, but with US owners the Glazers, it would not be a shock if the club looked at the American model of closed sports leagues, with no threat of relegation, and asked whether automatic qualification for the Champions League was that much to ask for a club of its standing. It may be on course to become the richest club in the world, but United's share price has dropped 20% since the start of the year. The drop in investor confidence could be explained to an extent by a growing nervousness about increasing competition, especially at a time when China is emerging as a serious footballing powerhouse and suddenly in the market for the top talent. The European Clubs' Association is in discussions with Uefa about the future of European competition, with no unified position expected until the latter months of 2016. A memorandum of understanding between the two parties, lasting until 2022, was signed last year - but there is a growing sense that the current formats need improving. The group stages of the Champions League and Europa League are seen as predictable and dull. And while it may seem ironic given the recent failure of English clubs in European competition, the continent's top clubs are particularly concerned about their ability to remain competitive with the Premier League once its new TV deal kicks in from next season. Recall again that Bartomeu told me he now sees the Premier League as a bigger rival to Barcelona than Real Madrid. Hence the desire for all Champions League games to be as enticing for fans and broadcasters as possible, with every match a compelling offering. The view is that currently this is not the case. The meeting with Relevant should be seen in this context then, as an attempt to take stock of the growing pressure from their European rivals for a new and improved Champions League or Super League - and to form a collective position on the debate. It is to soon to judge what view ultimately the English clubs will form. There is also no reason to think they would rebel against Uefa. But there is no doubt that change is in the air. This all comes at a fascinating moment for the sport. We are in the midst of regime change at both Fifa - the world governing body - and Uefa, offering new opportunities for the game's various interests to show they mean business. There is growing frustration among football's stakeholders - the players, the fans, but especially the top clubs - that their interests have been neglected for too long. Despite employing, training and then providing the world's best players, the top European clubs feel that they are sometimes taken for granted. They are frustrated by the prospect of a 40-team World Cup - as suggested by new Fifa president Gianni Infantino - which would mean more call-ups, injuries and greater pressure on the footballing calendar. They are angry about the disruption a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will cause. They note that Fifa's reforms do not mean the clubs - or fans and players - will have any representatives on its new council. And they will be preparing to fight their corner when it comes to negotiating a greater share of Uefa revenue. Here, then, is a timely reminder of the clubs' clout, what is at stake and what the future may hold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggs Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 If the 'bigger' clubs want to go, let them f*** off. No wonder the TV ratings for the CL are falling - it's a boring stitchup to which only a few are invited. Probably more to do with the games not being on terrestrial TV and the English teams doing badly than any other reason. It's a brilliant competition and should be left the way it is It should be returned to the way it was. Knock-out format and back to the three competitions. Cannot abide the CL concept. fucking awful. Epitomises the whole drive to 'super' teams and the Euro Super league. Aye its fucking shit watching the best teams and best players play against each other, should get rid of the World Cup while they're at it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Bailey Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 It's the format I can't abide. Nowt against watching great players. but lets not destroy competitive league football whilst doing it eh? European cup for national league winners, UEFA cup for 2nd and 3rd placed sides and a cup for domestic cup competition winners. Increase competition and reduce the likelihood of ending up with massive financial disparity between teams. I'm sure you will be happy watching ManU play Barca every weekend and Liverpool play Juventus mid week...it's the stuff dreams are made of. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foluwashola Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 If the 'bigger' clubs want to go, let them f*** off. No wonder the TV ratings for the CL are falling - it's a boring stitchup to which only a few are invited. Probably more to do with the games not being on terrestrial TV and the English teams doing badly than any other reason. It's a brilliant competition and should be left the way it is It should be returned to the way it was. Knock-out format and back to the three competitions. Cannot abide the CL concept. fucking awful. Epitomises the whole drive to 'super' teams and the Euro Super league. Aye its fucking shit watching the best teams and best players play against each other, should get rid of the World Cup while they're at it It's shit watching non-elite clubs, of which Newcastle is one, become pointless entities. The Champions League is partly to blame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 If the 'bigger' clubs want to go, let them f*** off. No wonder the TV ratings for the CL are falling - it's a boring stitchup to which only a few are invited. Probably more to do with the games not being on terrestrial TV and the English teams doing badly than any other reason. It's a brilliant competition and should be left the way it is Agreed. Needs to come back to terrestrial TV at the very least. Can see interest in the competition from English fans drying up in the future. City fans don't care about it as is. Arsenal qualify every year and don't make a dent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 There would be less interest for the top competition. As the way football is now, the current CL format works minus the 3rd place group malarky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Bailey Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 'Massively to blame' imo Foluwashola. It epitomises this march to 'super' teams in it's current format. The result being an inevitable meaningless existence for the 'small' teams and the eventual killing of competitive national league football. It's where it is headed no doubt. 12-20 teams in a @Superleague, no relegation, no admittance and an American style franchise format. Godawful. It will satiate the desires of TV and the billionaires who control it for a while though and who gives a fuck when TV eventually moves on to something else? those 'fans' will simply move on to something else as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 IMO Barca / Real / Bayern etc just want more money from the CL. It looks like La Liga is making steps to develop its entire brand like the PL. They play a lot of their games at TV friendly times. Currently, they all benefit from their leagues moving games for them to prepare fro CL fixtures that English clubs don't get. They also don't lose any players to top English teams either. In fact, they end up selling players that are a tad not good enough anymore to the PL for way more money than they could get anywhere else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 There is growing frustration among football's stakeholders - the players, the fans, but especially the top clubs - that their interests have been neglected for too long. Despite employing, training and then providing the world's best players, the top European clubs feel that they are sometimes taken for granted. How detached from reality are these cunts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggs Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 It's the format I can't abide. Nowt against watching great players. but lets not destroy competitive league football whilst doing it eh? European cup for national league winners, UEFA cup for 2nd and 3rd placed sides and a cup for domestic cup competition winners. Increase competition and reduce the likelihood of ending up with massive financial disparity between teams. I'm sure you will be happy watching ManU play Barca every weekend and Liverpool play Juventus mid week...it's the stuff dreams are made of. I didn't say I wanted it every week. I said I wanted it to leave it the way it is. The best football every year is in the Champions League knockout rounds. Also for Foluwashola's point about it ruining clubs like us, Mike Ashley and owners like him are ruining clubs like us and Villa, not the Champions League. Teams with reasonable budgets regularly get far in the Champions League when they are run well and have good managers. Atletico Madrid, Dortmund, Juve have all got to Champions League goals recently with way less budgets than some of the teams they've beaten. Spurs and Leicester are going to be in the Champions League next season. Fucking Villarreal were a bad penalty from getting into the Champions League Final. It's unambitious horseshit that we couldn't get in there with a better owner and manager Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Crooks Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I'll probably give up on football if this happens. It's been wrecked enough - even more so closer to home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 The inexplicable and continual rise of Jermain Jenas continues Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaus Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Jenas :lol: Having said that, Joey barton has also made an appearance in the past. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 FFS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 FFS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foluwashola Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 What The bloke is fucking clueless on his specialist subject, never mind discussing the benefits of staying in Europe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucaAltieri Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Jenas :lol: Having said that, Joey barton has also made an appearance in the past. At least Barton is good entertainment value. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaus Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 What The bloke is f***ing clueless on his specialist subject, never mind discussing the benefits of staying in Europe. Could be a game changer for me lyk. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 "Jermaine Jenas footballer" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStar Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 This been posted yet? Klopp reacting to the news Bayern lost https://streamable.com/ydyb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Hahaha, fantastic stuff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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