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What[emoji38]The bloke is fucking clueless on his specialist subject, never mind discussing the benefits of staying in Europe.

I don't know, he was quite good in Europe for us. Contributed to us staying in Europe for sure. Though I wonder if he'll refer to Europe as a giant goldfish bowl.

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What a load of shite!

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/mar/04/champions-league-leicester-relevent-sports-charlie-stillitano

 

 

Champions League does not need likes of Leicester, says US sports executive

 

Associated Press

 

Friday 4 March 2016 00.58 GMT  Last modified on Friday 4 March 2016 01.28 GMT 

 

 

 

Closing off European football competitions to include only elite clubs could make them far richer, according to the American sports executive who has held talks with the leading English Premier League teams about a shake-up to long-established league structures.

 

The Relevant Sports chairman, Charlie Stillitano, held talks with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United on Tuesday in London about this year’s International Champions Cup (ICC), an annual pre-season friendly tournament organised by his company. Stillitano confirmed they also discussed “restructuring the Champions League” – an issue high on the European Club Association agenda amid a power vacuum at Uefa.

 

Stillitano revealed that the European governing body has been keen on working with the ICC, which already attracts some of the world’s wealthiest teams to compete in games across the globe for a lucrative but meaningless prize. “We have even talked to Uefa in the past because they had an interest in our summer tournament,” Stillitano told the US satellite radio station SiriusXM. “That is something they would like to integrate into their portfolio.”

 

Joining forces with Relevent’s ICC would currently be incompatible with Uefa’s existing sponsorships. There are no plans with Uefa presently on the table but discussions have not been closed off.

 

Arsenal are the only team from the talks to go on the record in denying they advocate a breakaway Super League for Europe’s leading clubs.

 

Discussions within the ECA about the merits of advocating guaranteed Champions League places for prestigious teams come at a time when Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are all in danger of missing out on qualifying for Europe’s top competition next season.

 

“What would Manchester United argue: did we create soccer or did Leicester create [it]?” said Stillitano, who met United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, on Tuesday. “Let’s call it the money pot created by soccer and the fandom around the world. Who has had more of an integral role, Manchester United or Leicester? It’s a wonderful, wonderful story – but you could see it from Manchester United’s point of view, too.”

 

If the Premier League season ended now, Leicester and Tottenham would qualify for the Champions League alongside Arsenal and Manchester City.

 

“Maybe that is absolutely spectacular unless you are a Manchester United fan, Liverpool fan … or a Chelsea fan,” Stillitano said. “I guess they don’t have a birthright to be in it every year but it’s the age-old argument: US sports franchises versus what they have in Europe. There are wonderful, wonderful, wonderful elements to relegation and promotion and there are good arguments for a closed system.”

 

Stillitano believes Europe’s biggest clubs deserve to make more cash from the Champions League, given their contribution to making it such a financial success. He said fans are more likely to watch the Juventus v Bayern Munich and Arsenal v Barcelona games in the current round of 16 rather than matches involving PSV Eindhoven and Ghent.

 

“This is going to sound arrogant and it’s the furthest thing from it … but suddenly when you see the teams we have this summer in the ICC you are going to shake your head and say, ‘Isn’t that the Champions League?’” Stillitano said. “No, the Champions League is PSV and Ghent.”

 

Voicing the complaints he hears from clubs, Stillitano said: “I could make a lot more money, I can be a lot more visible, I can help my sponsors out but right now I am locked into doing certain things that are really historic.”

 

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I think if they create a closed super league for the top European clubs - it will just become an entertainment package and not a sport - like the Harlem Globetrotters.  Players will want to play in it because of the money. It will appeal mainly to the international TV audience but I think in countries like this, it would lose its appeal very quickly - but then we are not the target audience.

 

I hear them say it will be easy for supporters to still follow their team away because it is so cheap to travel around Europe now.  Travel and accommodation costs would soon soar and you have to be a lot more organised that just jumping into the car on a Saturday morning - I am sure the novelty would wear off for a number of supporters in time - even those who could afford it.

 

And how will clubs feel about finishing near the bottom of the league - all these elite clubs will no longer be able to win every week?

 

Such clubs will probably have even less of a connection to their communities because it won't be long before they will want them to play games all over the world so even their home supporters may not get to see them that often.  The football clubs will just be operating under a brand name.

 

If that is what they want - because their owners just want to make more money - well that is up to them but if that is the path they choose, then they should no longer take part in their domestic competitions.

 

They will complain of too many games and will want to cut the number of teams in the league, get rid of replays, the league cup, introduce a winter break etc - just to suit their own agendas and make them stronger.

 

Why should everyone else dance to their tune.  If they want their own league, then they can clear off and let the rest of us get on with it.

 

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Guest firetotheworks

Really enjoy watching these Breathe Sports talks on Youtube, they really get into it rather than just skimming the surface and Danny Higginbottom talks a lot of sense as well. Well worth a watch.

 

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Really enjoy watching these Breathe Sports talks on Youtube, they really get into it rather than just skimming the surface and Danny Higginbottom talks a lot of sense as well. Well worth a watch.

 

 

You think? He seemed to change his opinion all the time. All over Rio's tits too.

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Really enjoy watching these Breathe Sports talks on Youtube, they really get into it rather than just skimming the surface and Danny Higginbottom talks a lot of sense as well. Well worth a watch.

 

No one gives a fuck about the ICC pre season shite!

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Guest firetotheworks

There's a nice little dig in there. Savage says he watched Palace vs West Brom last season and it was the worst game he's ever watched. :lol:

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Surely if they create a league for the likes of Man U and Liverpool to be in because they can't qualify for the Champions League through the Premier League it'll be seen as a losers league you get relegated to if you're sufficiently scared of Leicester and Spurs?

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