European Super League

Maybe we could send our finest referees?

Mike Dean, Kevin Friend & the others would all jump at the chance.

 

Honestly, I don't think any of the current officials would officiate any ESL game. They have morals just like the rest of us. Why do you say they would jump at the chance?

 

They will use a panel of pundits operating VAR to make decisions. Any particularly juicy marginal calls will go to a public vote at the bargain price of $2 per text.

 

That's Mike Dean, the Tranmere Rovers fan who was seen jumping around like a lunatic at a play off match. They are football fans like us at the end of the day.

 

What a shower of ****!

I just had a thought about pundits and commentators etc, what credible people will they get? No self respecting decent ex player is going to go near it, it will be like someone from towie next to a former BB housemate in the studio with Katie price on commentary duty with a teletubby!

 

You want a really spicy take? If some investment bank vultures really have billions and billions in funding at their disposal for a Superleague, they shouldn't be trying to siphon off established clubs: they should be trying to crush the MLS by setting up a North American league that doesn't have the weird pseudo-central governance and which can properly leverage the revenues of the NA television market by acquiring top-tier talent.

I don't actually want that, but that's probably a better proposition long-term than a midweek competition that will become a sideshow in short order.

 

I think the fact I name Dean & Friend as our finest referees is enough to point out that I am obviously joking.

Still, referees union and all that.

 

Don’t care, football has been long in intensive care

 

Tom and lewebster, you're forgetting one of the universal truths: money talks. Pay them enough and refs and pundits won't be a problem.

 

Not in this case. I honestly believe the owners of the 6 clubs are on their own on this one.

 

Could say the same about the players but seriously who is going to be happy not playing for their country! Most players don't play for an elite national side, the likes of Sadio Mane, Haaland, Bale all play for lesser sides, yet they still play, they are proud to represent their country.

Take that away from them and give them more money and international football will be the thing money can't buy, I don't see that happening, the elite players have more than enough money to not want this so they can carry on playing international football.

 

The not playing internationally thing won't happen imo. Most of the best players will play in the ESL and FIFA aren't gonna devalue their own World Cup. Empty threat.

 

Disagree. I think they full intend to ban the players who take part.

 

Yeah, I'm no legal expert but I'm not sure ESL players can be banned from playing in the Euros/World Cup.

My initial thought on the ESL was 'this will never happen.' There are so many ludicrous headlines about how it will work and especially the thing about transferring CL titles into ESL ones. It's almost like the whole thing's a joke, but Florentino Perez gave an interview last night saying they are very confident that they're in a strong position legally, so **** knows how this is going to play out.

In the same interview, he talked about Haaland's dad visiting Madrid's training ground. Then in the next breath he's saying clubs will go bankrupt without the ESL, so if that's true why are they having Haaland's dad round for tea seeing as he'll cost £100m+.

 

They might not be banned as such, but the FA could just not pick them. I'm not 100% on how it works, but I doubt there's a legal obligation to pick Harry Kane, as an example.

 

Harsh on the players as they have already signed contracts with those clubs prior to all of this. It would be better to apply the rules to any player who signs for these clubs after the ESL has actually been established.

 

Real competitive team sport with promotion and relegation has no appeal to international business

One year you’re winning the Cup next year you’re getting relegated. What sort of a ****ed up business model is that!

Franchises and every game packed with slebs is what they want. Commercial certainty, more money!

Millions of TV viewer and commercial loyalty to your franchise is the goal

And as for sharing the loot, that’s nuts. The pyramid is only required as a nursery for the next talent

The EPL was the first step, but rich people never stop being greedy for more riches

Football is about soul for real fans and this is nothing to do with that

They understand the profit potential of everything and the value of nothing

 

Football is slowly eating itself.

 

Spot on. Football is no longer the escape from drudgery for working people that it has been for most of its history. It has become a commodity, subject to being bought and sold like pig iron or peanuts. The only thing that matters is how much you can make out of it.