Champions League revamp

[BlueToff]

The biggest meeting in English footballing history underway.

They need to come out with nothing less than the firm threat that if they proceed, they're out.

100% on this

But it's the repercussions of what happens if they don't go too.

That's where the balancing act comes in.

 

[Lanolin]

That would argue in favor of the 14 and UEFA on different grounds.

Take the CART/Indy split. CART took the drivers and most of the sponsors and money. Indy had the crown jewel, the 500, and kicked the drivers that didn't join their circuit out of the 500. They ended up with some fairly ridiculous winners of the 500 for a couple of years (Buddy Lazier?), but in the end, Indy won because they had the 500 and the drivers came back.

I'm not making an argument about integrity. I'm making an argument about image, which is what matters to the sponsors - and as a consequence, to the players who take the sponsors' money.

If you have enough money, you can even tell the sponsors where to go. The Masters did it. The 14 now have the ability to give the six the boot, pass whatever rules they want to enable themselves to get the money to fight, and go to war. The only question is whether or not they collectively have the will.

There's ample reason to believe that they can win the fight, should they choose to join it. Which is exactly the problem, and why I believe that a parting of the ways is a real possibility - the outcome is uncertain. If we knew how the chips would fall, the 14 would muck their cards if they're going to lose, and the six would muck their cards if they're going to lose.

Your argument boils down to the notion that the 14 are so risk-averse that they'll capitulate. That's what Woodward et al are betting on. I'm not convinced. I think that by alienating FIFA, UEFA and the fans, the ESL changed the game to their own detriment. Whether or not that's enough for the fight to be joined is, to me, an open question rather than a foregone conclusion.

Two of the twelve have been convicted this century of quite literally cheating. The idea that this would somehow damage their brand more than that did seems a little far fetched.

 

[TimHowardsBeardJuice]

If one pulls out the SL will collapse.

agree but there has to be a consequence, you can’t just float this crap, even as just a negotiating ploy, and just laugh it off when it blows up in your face

Btw as an American and a lifelong Red Sox fan who just threw his cap in the trash over Mr Henry’s role in this, I agree 100% with the anti Yank sentiment here re the negative influence of the American owners, the disrespect for the footballing culture in England, that the NFL franchise model is crap, etc. No comfort for you and I wouldn’t blame GOT for jettisoning the lot of us but this whole thing disgusts me.

 

[allen]

They need to come out with nothing less than the firm threat that if they proceed, they're out.

The best outcome would be a lasting rule change that any club signing up to a league outside of the FA or UEFA structures is expelled from the league.

 

[Zatara]

Divide and conquer

Don’t deal with them as a “6” - disciplinary proceedings for each one separately, start with Tottenham - let’s test that solidarity - hearing for second club doesn’t start until punishment handed out to first - who are they gonna get support from.

Yes i wrote the same line earlier.

Get the £175mil loan called in from Spurs.

I'm with you, I think this will be very hard to row back from now. As Neville said last night, Glaziers don't row back from much and even FSG have gone further than they might have done and will know to row back now will probably mean to have to give the club up.

In situations like this as well, certain clubs will have to have given certain guarantees to related parties. It's quite likely contracts will have been signed. The 12 teams are not in it equally and it's obvious certain clubs have probably got entangled far more, to a point where they might be liable if it doesn't happen. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if someone has put up £3.5bn there will be an equivalent cost to be shared from the initial guarantors if it doesn't happen. Again we can move figures, but that would not surprise me at all. If you are a partner business with this, you want "skin in the game".

The things I've read from Barcelona is they were more none commital than Madrid. Perez spoke yesterday about convincing them. Laporta has been ambivalent on it. I don't think they are in as deep as say RM, Juventus, Liverpool & United (with possibly Arsenal) tagging along just behind. If it starts to look a bit shaky, don't be surprised to see certain teams waver a bit. Barca will probably go, but I am not sure they are quite as financially tied in.

As for Chelsea & City, this whole set up is designed to stop them dominating. So they'd be daft to sign up. Their USP is they can spend more than rivals. They will get that chance in the PL but not there. Nobody is watching Chelsea is they are perenially a bottom half team.

How can Barca be fully signed up without the fan (shareholders) vote?

 

[maccavennie]

Dissolve each club in a bath of acid.

Job done and maccavennie saves the day again

 

[NewRadical]

Its just very interesting. Half me says there's no way the prem are going to severely punish the darlings but te other half thinks how can they not?

It's total chaos.

I think we're so used to these clubs getting their own way and authorities bending over backwards for them.

They are to powerful now, or think they are, that they need to be severely punished for what they've already done.

I suspect some clubs are 'All In' because they are so in debt and have to take the chance that they'll pull this off without reprisals. They are used to that happening.

The Premier League won't be a spectacle in any way if they are allowed to compete in both. It's already predictable but it would be SPL like.

I think they should be expelled from their domestic leagues. It would be damaging to football but save the game for the many.

 

[Death]

The Trevmiester. Reliable.

 

[Tin-Tin]

Has to be chelsea, he's closely linked

 

[Azza]

 

[Wat Tyler]

 

[jamieni]

100% on this

But it's the repercussions of what happens if they don't go too.

That's where the balancing act comes in.

Damned if they do and damned if they don’t. This has torpedoed the PL.

 

[Tramps_mate]

Im expecting a huge back tracking from these two clubs very soon.

Supposedly they were cautious to start with.

 

[Vax]

The biggest meeting in English footballing history underway.

They need to come out with nothing less than the firm threat that if they proceed, they're out.

The Italians had a meeting yesterday and did nothing.
I hope we, as a league, have more balls than them.

 

[Toffee-nerd]

agree but there has to be a consequence, you can’t just float this crap, even as just a negotiating ploy, and just laugh it off when it blows up in your face

Btw as an American and a lifelong Red Sox fan who just threw his cap in the trash over Mr Henry’s role in this, I agree 100% with the anti Yank sentiment here re the negative influence of the American owners, the disrespect for the footballing culture in England, that the NFL franchise model is crap, etc. No comfort for you and I wouldn’t blame GOT for jettisoning the lot of us but this whole thing disgusts me.

Not your fault lad. Fundamentally if the game didnt sell its soul to the highest bidder in the first place we wouldnt be here now. Top level togger is bent as a 9 bob note, fifa corrupt, UEFA corrupt, this is all a symptom of the illness that's infested football. It's all been commercialized and run by corporations. This was inevitable in a way.