European Super League announced; collapses

[METALMAN]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/23/salary-caps-sack-boards-share-tv-money-10-readers-ideas-to-fix-football

[FLiam]

Shocked at how many people turned up at the Emirates. There’s loads there.

NBCSN talking about how it’s surprising to them as the club “isn’t being run that badly”. I beg to differ.

[Nerf]

The 6 English ESL clubs will have 5% of their UEFA revenue withheld for one season, and each will make a 15m EUR donation to grassroots initiatives. That seems like the perfect punishment to me, hurting the owners and supporting the pyramid, rather than short-sighted cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[The Lusophone]

It's a 15 million euro donation total, amongst the 9.

[Bobfoc]

That'll show 'em. How will they ever recover from such a devastating financial hit?

[Adam]

39 minutes ago, Nerf said:

The 6 English ESL clubs will have 5% of their UEFA revenue withheld for one season, and each will make a 15m EUR donation to grassroots initiatives. That seems like the perfect punishment to me, hurting the owners and supporting the pyramid, rather than short-sighted cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I'm not quite sure what it does for the pyramid? I'm glad grassroots and children's initiatives will get some money out of all this but it is a paltry amount between 9 mega-rich clubs, as is the 5%.

The €100m fine each if they sign up to something similar in the future is a bit better, but still.

[Nerf]

1 hour ago, MadJack said:

It's a 15 million euro donation total, amongst the 9.

Yeah, Paul Joyce tweeted wrong. Take it up with him.

[JasonM]

1 hour ago, Adam said:

The €100m fine each if they sign up to something similar in the future is a bit better, but still.

I feel if you look at the alleged gravy train that the Super League would've been. Most teams would take that financial hit knowing they'd make more money anyways.

 

[The Lusophone]

1 hour ago, Nerf said:

Yeah, Paul Joyce tweeted wrong. Take it up with him.

I will. I'll fight him.

[Gazz]

3 hours ago, Nerf said:

15m EUR donation to grassroots

Gonna get myself some new slalom poles.

[Colly]

We lost a ball last week, that should cover it.

[METALMAN]

I think the European Super League clubs should be punished by having their stadiums burnt down.

[Lineker]

Quote

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – the three clubs defiantly backing the proposed European Super League despite the withdrawals of nine other clubs – denounced on Saturday the “intolerable” pressures and “threats” put on them by Uefa to drop the stalled breakaway.

Uefa said on Friday the three clubs will face sanctions and European football’s ruling body has started disciplinary proceedings against them. The Champions League finalists, Manchester City and Chelsea, were among the first of six Premier League clubs to pull out and Internazionale, Milan and Atlético Madrid have followed suit, with all nine clubs declaring their commitment to Uefa and its competitions.

The three remaining clubs are now questioning Uefa’s actions, saying in a joint statement: “The founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats and offences to abandon the project. And therefore desist from their right and duty to provide solutions to the football ecosystem via concrete proposals and constructive dialogue.

“This is intolerable under the rule of law and tribunals have already ruled in favour of the Super League proposal, ordering Fifa and Uefa to, either directly or through their affiliated bodies, refrain from taking any action which may hinder this initiative in any way while court proceedings are pending.”

The nine clubs who pulled out of the Super League and are back in the Uefa fold have agreed to “take all steps within their power” to end their involvement in the breakaway ESL and agreed to make a combined €15m (£13m) goodwill contribution to benefit youth and grassroots football across Europe. However, Juve, Real and Barça are not backing down from their ESL plans.

“We regret to see that our friends and founding partners of the Super League project have now found themselves in such an inconsistent and contradictory position when signing a number of commitments to Uefa,” their statement said. “We reiterate that, to honour our history, to comply with our obligations towards our stakeholders and fans, for the good of football and for the financial sustainability of the sector, we have the duty to act in a responsible manner and persevere in the pursuit of adequate solutions, despite the unacceptable and ongoing pressures and threats received from Uefa.”

Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, has called for talks with the clubs but understands the need for sanctions, telling Spain’s AS: “The fans … are and should be at the centre of everything we do. I have been very clear in what is mine and Fifa’s position on this matter. We stand by Uefa in rejecting the Super League. We are against it and we will always be against any competition which is not part of the international structures of football and that threatens the unity and solidarity that should always exist in the football pyramid.”

The Super League claimed it would increase revenue for the top clubs in Europe and allow them to distribute more money to the rest of the game. Uefa, other teams and fan organisations, however, said the league would only boost the power and wealth of elite clubs.

Juve, Real and Barça said they were ready to reconsider the proposed approach of the breakaway following the backlash, but added it would be “highly irresponsible” for them to abandon the project.

“We are fully aware of the diversity of reactions to the Super League initiative and, consequently, of the need to reflect on the reasons for some of them,” their statement added.

“We are ready to reconsider the proposed approach, as necessary. However, we would be highly irresponsible if, being aware of the needs and systemic crisis in the football sector… we abandoned such mission to provide effective and sustainable answers to the existential questions that threaten the football industry.”

 

[Twist]

Out of interest, could the FA/Premier League refuse to give the ESL clubs a Euro spot next year and give them to the highest finishers not involved in the ESL?

Honestly find the idea of Leicester, West Ham, Everton and Leeds as the CL teams so much more interesting than the usual suspects. And a very strong message to send as well.

 

[DanishmadePunk]

They probably could, but wont. 

[Colly]

We'd all suffer somehow if that happened. Apparently. 

[Adam]

They should ban Real, Juventus and Barcelona from the Champions League for a few years. See how they feel about sticking to their guns then. Bunch of twats.

[Szumi]

Serie A has said if Juve are still involved with the ESL by the beginning of next season, they're expelled from the league.

[JasonM]

13 minutes ago, Szumi - A Polack said:

Serie A has said if Juve are still involved with the ESL by the beginning of next season, they're expelled from the league.

It wouldn't really be the Serie A without Juventus getting yeeted from it over shenanigans every decade.

[gunnar hendershow]

Juventus getting booted from Serie A can only mean one thing. Italy are winning the 2022 World Cup.