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27 minutes ago, TBG said:

Similar to inviting Australia to join Eurovision, could Uefa not just add Saudi teams to the Union of European Football Associations Champions League? 


I can see Saudi buying its way into the CL, but I also see the ESL clubs kicking off over it. Perhaps instead the super league will be resurrected but with Saudi financing and Saudi clubs involved.

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12 minutes ago, Hovagod said:

Not sure if it’s jokes, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that we are no way like a priority for our main owners 


I’m not sure what more they can do for us when rules have been put in place designed to stop us from competing.

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Mbappe going to Saudi would fundamentally change football in Europe.

 

I think international recognition is one thing that holds back SA league. As in, players in that division will be overlooked for their national teams - particularly some of the older players and the players on the cusp. That's a big reason Diaby joined Villa - he'll not play for France while in the SA league.

 

But Mbappe joining? It changes so much.

 

As you say, what stops Saudi from creating an international Champions League? 

 

I don't think it's a net positive for us. We become irrelevant if the SA league becomes relevant.

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Football has been fucked for years, it just looks like it's going to get fucked in a way that is less favourable to the established European teams. 

 

Personally think that Saudi can throw as much money as they like at it, people won't be that interested. The second most famous player in the world went there and as far as I can tell no one gave a fuck about the actual football. 

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6 minutes ago, Jack27 said:

Come on now, a Saudi Arabian club will never play in any major European competition

They don't need too.

 

They could create their own international club competition. Invite clubs from all around the world. ESL 12 or whatever from Europe. 4 From SA. 2 From South America. 2 from elsewhere. Whatever. But they can do their own thing like Golf. There's no reason the "UEFA Champions League" has to be the default premier club competition in the world. It's just that Europe has had all the money.

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1 minute ago, Deuce said:

Give me a proper Champions League. Winner of every top flight division around the world. Single elimination bracket tournament. The way God intended.

They’ve tried similar in the past.  No-one gives a shite about it. 

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1 minute ago, TheHoob said:

Football has been fucked for years, it just looks like it's going to get fucked in a way that is less favourable to the established European teams. 

 

Personally think that Saudi can throw as much money as they like at it, people won't be that interested. The second most famous player in the world went there and as far as I can tell no one gave a fuck about the actual football. 

But he's old and passed his best.

 

1 minute ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Toodle-loo FFP.  There is no way the European clubs watch the best players leave due to self-imposed rules. 
 

Having said that, you can’t make the maths fit re Mbappe.  This isn’t about value, it’s about geopolitics.  

These clubs can't compete with SA anyway. The UAE just won the Champions League. Qatar has had the 3 best players in the world (at a point) playing for them.

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1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

 

I don't think it's a net positive for us. We become irrelevant if the SA league becomes relevant.


I don’t get this binary thinking. 
 

The Prem is not going to become irrelevant regardless of what the SA league does. It’s a massively profitable endeavour and has a rich history that will alway bring in eye balls and support.

 

They have backed the club massively within the restraints of FFP and are bringing in as much expertise as they can at each level. I don’t know what more they could be doing for us. 
 

They can want a successful premier league club and a better domestic league - they don’t have to chose one or another. 

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Just now, The College Dropout said:

But he's old and passed his best.

 

These clubs can't compete with SA anyway. The UAE just won the Champions League. Qatar has had the 3 best players in the world (at a point) playing for them.

You’re right, of course.  Though UEFA and the various FAs were comfortable as long as those players remained in Europe.

 

The problem KSA will have is that it would always need propping up to make these signings, and therefore will always require govt funding.  Europeans aren’t going to start watching Al-Hilal.  It could see the game grow more naturally in Asia - not a bad thing.  

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1 minute ago, GeordieDazzler said:


I don’t get this binary thinking. 
 

The Prem is not going to become irrelevant regardless of what the SA league does. It’s a massively profitable endeavour and has a rich history that will alway bring in eye balls and support.

 

They have backed the club massively within the restraints of FFP and are bringing in as much expertise as they can at each level. I don’t know what more they could be doing for us. 
 

They can want a successful premier league club and a better domestic league - they don’t have to chose one or another. 

I agree. That's why I said "net positive", it's not binary. Higher competition for us - is simply not a good thing. Another powerful league taking players is not good for Premier League clubs.

 

I agree they are doing all they can with us. But their own league has the most potential to achieve their goals. They can rewrite the rules of football rather than follow what Europeans have decided and agreed, which fundamentally limits what SA can do.

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3 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

You’re right, of course.  Though UEFA and the various FAs were comfortable as long as those players remained in Europe.

 

The problem KSA will have is that it would always need propping up to make these signings, and therefore will always require govt funding.  Europeans aren’t going to start watching Al-Hilal.  It could see the game grow more naturally in Asia - not a bad thing.  

Yeh Europeans aren't the be-all and end-all of football. And I really do think they could create their own international club competition with European teams. That will attract European viewers to the SA league as those clubs will be relevant.

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I'm not sure how to feel about that move if it happens, or Saudi's continued ruffling of European feathers. On the one hand, I'm all for a new belligerent scaring the shit out of the established elite and upsetting the status quo; on the other hand, that Saudi Arabia is the belligerent here is very depressing. It just provides more emphasis on how the sport is now defined by an ugly skirmish between governments and economic superheavyweights with very dubious backgrounds/intentions.

 

On the third hand, I think: it's only one player, one person. Obviously he's supremely talented but if he's going to Saudi to overtly earn hundreds of millions then you wonder just how bothered UEFA will really be about the integrity of their competition supposedly being lost. 

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