The Super League | FA + PL: New Charter & Fines | UEFA: Settlement

Would you be happy if City joined this European Super League?

  • Yes

    Votes: 109 5.3%

  • No

    Votes: 1,954 94.7%
  • Total voters
    2,063
Even if this a play to make Uefa come to the table to renegotiate a revamped champions league, the timing is shit.how will the players concentrate, not knowing if it will affect their position regarding playing for their country, or, indeed , is it going to be as memorable if we win this champions league, as it will be no more next year.it could even affect our form in the premier league.God forbid, the reds run us down this season because of this.
 
Roberto Manciti said:
There is a huge amount of emotion surrounding discussion of all this. Entirely understandable too. But those running football don't think in terms of emotion. For them it is all about money. So looking at this from a purely financial perspective - as the characters involved in this upheaval will - how is this likely to play out?

Firstly, IMO, the breakaway clubs hold all the aces here. UEFA can ban these clubs all they like. But UEFA needs these elite clubs, and the elite clubs don't need them. Domestic leagues can impose bans and sanctions to make a point, but that would be suicidal. The PL stripped of the appeal of these six clubs is a crippled brand. If those six are excluded, just how much will broadcasters be prepared to pay for rights to cover the rest? How much sponsorship will be forthcoming? The simple reality is that the Premier League MUST reach an amicable settlement with the breakaway six. The alternative is a PL doomed to die by noble gesture.

Meanwhile, consider the options from the perspective of the breakaway clubs. If they're banned from domestic competitions the solution for them could hardly be more straightforward. Reformat the new competition to a full 38-game home-and-away season for the 20 clubs involved. Incorporate some element of cup football either in the form of a play-off format, or via a new dedicated cup competition. No shortage of lucrative fixtures to stream now.

And what if the players are banned from representing their national teams? Simple. The breakaway league sets up a new international tournament - they will have access to all the best players, after all. If UEFA and FIFA don't play along, it is they who will go the way of the dinosaurs, not the breakaway clubs.

Many of we fans who post on here view football in analog terms. We think of the beautiful game broadly as it has functioned for the last 100 years or more. But that financial model is extinct. Clubs can no longer survive based on matchday income. Football is consumed digitally now. Yes, I will attract ire for saying that - but it is the truth. The future for the elite football clubs revolves purely around digital income from global media rights. And from the merchandising and betting revenue streams arising from that. The kind of money brought in by those who attend matches on the day is close to irrelevant at this level. Many on here are saying they will no longer attend games because they don't approve of the new paradigm (fair enough). Others won't return because they've left this expensive weekend routine behind during the Covid reset. The reality is that these big clubs won't care about this. In a business model dominated by digital TV / streaming coverage, the role of the matchday crowd is to provide atmosphere and visual spectacle for the worldwide online audience. The clubs can afford to price the matchday seats to sell using dynamic algorithms like those used by no-frills airlines. And if those tickets are cheaper, perhaps afew younger (and more animated) fans will be able to afford the gig again ... win-win for the clubs.

Meanwhile, a huge new revenue stream arises for the clubs if they can sell football coverage via their own fan channels. Purists on Bluemoon may say NEVER, but a substantial new audience will be attracted to subscribe to a package which grants live access to ALL Manchester City matches for a full season (or whichever club they prefer). The clubs will make a killing from this. Sadly, how many fans of these six clubs sit through live TV coverage of matches such as Brighton v Burnley which their expensive Sky / BT package currently foists upon them in place of the match they really want to see?

When you pause to consider the strong position that the breakaway clubs are in from a financial perspective, it becomes obvious that for all their posturing it is UEFA and the domestic leagues which will need to give ground if any kind of accord is to be negotiated. Being banned from the UCL at the semi-final stage is galling, but UEFA can only impose this sanction once. And it will be an act of gross financial self-harm if they go through with it. And given that UEFA has behaved so objectionably for so many years, I struggle to raise one iota of sympathy for their predicament now. Their appointment of the odious Tebag to a position of influence just this week shows that this toxic coven is not minded to change its ways any time soon. UEFA is a horrible governing body. The new incarnation can only be 'just as bad' at the very worst.

My expectation is that urgent and constructive peace talks must ensue. This breakaway represents an existential threat to domestic leagues generally (if these clubs are excluded), and to UEFA in particular. In public they may rant about how harshly they can punish and ostracise the breakaway elite clubs. But in private they must do whatever it takes to keep these clubs securely in the fold. Failure to do so dooms THEM to irrelevance, not the elite clubs. That is the stark reality.

I'm aware that this line of thinking isn't something that purists of a certain age want to contemplate. But it is the financial reality in this new digital age, and it is the distribution of monetary rewards which will ultimately decide the outcome of this. UEFA must offer big concessions to appease the elite clubs. And the domestic leagues will have no choice other than to back down or become a meaningless sideshow compared with what they once were.

We live in interesting times. But upsetting as all this is, I still want the best possible outcome for Manchester City FC. It's CTID for me, whichever tournament they happen to be competing in. For as long as they play in Manchester and retain the name I've always supported, count me in.
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Whilst I totally agree with what you have written the massive issue you have failed to address is the Players.
Would they for go International Football for money?
The breakaway clubs would be nothing without the top players.
For me the players as always hold all the power in modern football.
I understand that if it gets up and running eventually the teams may wrestle some of the power from the players but that may not be as easy as they think. Tv revenues are based on showing the top players.
 
butlerkb said:
Even if this a play to make Uefa come to the table to renegotiate a revamped champions league, the timing is shit.how will the players concentrate, not knowing if it will affect their position regarding playing for their country, or, indeed , is it going to be as memorable if we win this champions league, as it will be no more next year.it could even affect our form in the premier league.God forbid, the reds run us down this season because of this.
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Given that United are part of this as well (and their players presumably thinking the same) then how will they hunt us down?
 
Damocles said:
Obviously I do need to keep "harping on" if you're so illiterate that you didn't understand the last 3 times.

There's no competitive football and hasn't been for decades.

The "soul" of the club?

The soul of the club changed either the time we were bought by a human rights abuser who had people shot in the streets or the other human rights abuser who he sold it to who executes gay people and still stones people to death.
But that was all okay to you, it was leaving the UEFA competition that really did it. Do me a favour.
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There's non competitive and there's NON COMPETITIVE.

Nobody is stupid enough to believe that the current model is completely fair, it still relies on money. It has always been the case. However, until recently there was nothing to stop an owner coming in and investing in a club and giving that club the opportunity to progress. We know this better than anyone.

City have spent the past decade championing and fighting for outside/owner investment being right for the sport. We have battled against the notion that FFP was there to protect clubs, when in fact we all know it was there to protect those in power. The ESL is just the evolution of FFP and one that is infinitely worse. It takes away all competitiveness, there is no next Man City, Chelsea or Blackburn chapter in this story. Its done, all other clubs not determined the elite, by the elite, can sod off and play their own 2nd rate brand of football, in their 2nd rate competition and for a pittance.

Its a disgusting power grab and something that none of us should accept just because we happen to now be regarded as part of the elite.
 
Cobwebcat said:
I think it is way beyond a power play. It’s happening. The CL is dead and the ESL is here. The ESL will be hoping to negotiate with the current powers to get their model,or very close to it, ratified and stay in the domestic leagues.

The ESL is here now as it’s got huge financial backing that UEFA can’t compete with.
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I could give to hoots about the Cl in reality and glad that UEFA are getting what we have all wanted for a long time. However no one wanted this and for me its what it will do to the PL. It will destroy the PL this as the season will just become a 38 game procession with 6 clubs miles ahead of the others, season over nov/dec for all but 4 or 5 clubs at the top and bottom, teams like arsenal able to just play 11 youth team players as they have a big super league game on weds in Beijing and no impact if they lose as there are now zero consequences for having a shit season. We've all agreed over the years that winning the PL was our brad and butter, its what we strived for every year, well now that means nothing if this shit goes ahead.
 
Damocles said:
All 5 were owned by billionaires. That's the entire point. You're arguing against the Super League which is a competition that is essentially locked off by about 15 clubs who can realistically win it, in favour of the Premier League which is a competition that is essentially locked off by about 5 clubs or so who can realistically win it.

I've arguments against the Super League myself but the "it kills competition" one isn't a real
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15 teams can never get removed from it, getting guaranteed revenue and are eternally in the elite tier, even if they arent run well?

It is a cartel. And we all know cartels love competition.

You've picked the one contrarian angle that's impossible to defend.

This stinks.
 
waspish said:
Does anyone really think if this goes ahead the premier will kick out those six clubs? Because if they do those clubs that are left will be in the shit financial the next tv deal will be peanuts if these six clubs get kicked out! Also this banning players from international football will be challenged! The champs league was getting stale, the only thing about the super league that wrong is the closed shop if it wasn’t there wouldn’t be as much uproar..

I said few years back look out for these American owners buying clubs in the premier and how they bought them because one day they will want to Americanise it well here’s the day..
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This is where the big 6 clubs have a gun to the head of the premier league. The premier league have to agree with it, if they kicked them out of the league they don’t have a product to sell to tv companies.
 
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