European Super League announced; collapses

[METALMAN]

“The fundamental problem is the rich always aspire to be more rich without considering the consequences for the rest. As they gain more power they start demanding more privilege over the rest,”

Bielsa4pm

[gunnar hendershow]

Yeah I echo everyone regarding the players holding the keys to this collapsing. If enough don't want in, it falls apart. These founding clubs are all going to drive home the point to the players that they'll make more in the ESL. Which is probably true given the initial investment and expected money from the first round of TV deals. And it's hard to tell a professional athlete, who might suffer a career-ending injury tomorrow, to leave any career earnings on the table.

I'd wager the backlash dies down somewhat if the players decide to, in large numbers, go along with it. And if large numbers don't go along with it, the whole thing is dead.

[METALMAN]

I think we're expecting a bit too much from the integrity of top football players here. Their demands to be paid six figures a week as the people who come to watch them are ripped off are one of the reasons we've ended up in this inevitable position. How many offered to take pay cuts during the covid shutdown as other club staff were being laid off?

[OctoberRaven]

oh no my keyboard is going crazy and it's pasting stuff every time I post

brb better go fix this

edit: No but seriously guys support local, community-minded clubs. look into it and you're bound to find something in your area. no matter who it is, your support will mean more to them than it ever will to a EuroMLS side.

[Colly]

24 minutes ago, metalman said:

I think we're expecting a bit too much from the integrity of top football players here. Their demands to be paid six figures a week as the people who come to watch them are ripped off are one of the reasons we've ended up in this inevitable position. How many offered to take pay cuts during the covid shutdown as other club staff were being laid off?

I think Arsenal did didn't they, as Gunnersaurus was still let go?

As much as football players are very well paid, I don't think they're quite the villains you're suggesting, and I'm thinking of a player like James Milner going back to Elland Road tonight, there's no way he's happy about this.

It's one thing to turn down a payrise (I wouldn't), but to stand for the whole concept of a football pyramid being destroyed overnight is another thing altogether. I fully expect more players to make statements in the coming days and weeks.

[DFF]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-leagues-rulebook-leaves-only-23938362?fbclid=IwAR3Hoy78hso_JqzAO2wgrR_qGLZIBXM5Ppae7gBbVEgPDz22sad7uLwTa9U

Interesting little find in the PL rules. Essentially, they are already signed up to a rule that stops them playing their first teams in non-sanctioned competitions. 

[Baddar]

The Palace chairman was on MNF earlier and he said the other 14 clubs don't want the 6 to go. That's what's worrying here, almost like they'll try to find a compromise (money. It's money) for them playing in the ESL and PL together.

[METALMAN]

42 minutes ago, Colly said:

I think Arsenal did didn't they, as Gunnersaurus was still let go?

As much as football players are very well paid, I don't think they're quite the villains you're suggesting, and I'm thinking of a player like James Milner going back to Elland Road tonight, there's no way he's happy about this.

It's one thing to turn down a payrise (I wouldn't), but to stand for the whole concept of a football pyramid being destroyed overnight is another thing altogether. I fully expect more players to make statements in the coming days and weeks.

Well, Milner's one thing but I'm not so confident about those with the most power who are more into cultivating their social media profile or personal brand. I'm not saying they are villains, necessarily. More narcissists in a competitive environment where they are constantly comparing themselves to their peers - and their peers' paypackets, and who have demonstrated they don't have a great deal of interest in the world beyond that. There are exceptions, obviously, but they are exceptions, and its pretty telling that most of those who have spoken out so far are on the outside looking in. Would Ander Herrera have done so if he were still at Man Utd? (I wrote that before Milner actually spoke...)

We can only really guess how they'll react based on past behaviour, but their past behaviour doesn't fill me with confidence. I'd love to be proven wrong though.

[Baddar]

Milner doesn't like it, doesn't want it. Good lad.

But I suppose he's a "legacy" player to the owners and won't matter in a few years anyway.

[METALMAN]

he's a good lad

 

[Colly]

51 minutes ago, Baddar said:

The Palace chairman was on MNF earlier and he said the other 14 clubs don't want the 6 to go. That's what's worrying here, almost like they'll try to find a compromise (money. It's money) for them playing in the ESL and PL together.

I watched that interview, I didn't get that impression. I think not wanting the other clubs to go is perfectly understandable, but everything else he said was against the very concept of the thing.

19 minutes ago, metalman said:

he's a good lad

 

 

Love that man. May he never retire. Is he still eligible for England U21s?

[Colly]

I might wear my 07/08 Milner third shirt for work tomorrow.

 

[FLiam]

It really is disgusting the way these owners have gone about this. Not informed any of the playing / managerial staff and literally left them in front of the cameras do answer questions about something that was news to them yesterday as it was us. They really are disgusting human-beings.

[Szumi]

 

What a massive cunt

[FLiam]

Whole thread is awful and insane. 

[gunnar hendershow]

Sounds like a man who is ready to scapegoat the players. "Look if these greedy players didn't ask for so much money us benevolent owners wouldn't have had to do something like this."

And the whole losing interest stuff is a crock of shit. Every sport has seen viewers drop in the pandemic. Almost like there's something about the atmosphere of fans at the stadium that translates to TV.

[Moses Julep]

Apparently the rest of the PL is set to ask the Big Six to leave the league tomorrow. I don’t know how valid that report is but we’ll see what happens. 

[The Lusophone]

Perez is about to announce cage matches for the ESL, the way this interview is going.

[Adam]

32 minutes ago, Moses Julep said:

Apparently the rest of the PL is set to ask the Big Six to leave the league tomorrow. I don’t know how valid that report is but we’ll see what happens. 

If they actually do tell the Big 6 to get lost, I will have massive respect for the Premier League and remaining clubs. That's what should happen but despite all of this I have very little belief they actually will.

[Szumi]

Yeah, Florentino Perez went full 98 Vince McMahon.