The New European Super (borefest) League

[Ayahuasca]

Right but that's because of the financial and lack of promotion/relegation aspect of it, not the idea of the best clubs in Europe playing more regularly.

I think it's a bit of both and more, the fans of the clubs involved weren't worried about lack of promotion or relegation and their finances would have gone through the roof. If they really wanted those "headline" fixtures every week, I think there would have been a bit more support for this competition from the big 6 fans.

I'm relatively neutral about the European competitions as my club aren't in them and I don't want those games every week.

You could argue the world cup is below top European competition standard but if we were to have that every year, rather than every 4, do you think it would feel as special?

 

[Sasahara]

That sounds terrible there is no way that kind of system should exist....oh wait it has done for decades.

So you want a season with a possible English club 1 v English club 2 could play 6-8 times. Sounds amazing.

Lets have the Word cup every year it would be great? No it wouldn't it would dilute the appeal.

 

[Shamikebab]

So you want a season with a possible English club 1 v English club 2 could play 6-8 times. Sounds amazing.

Lets have the Word cup every year it would be great? No it wouldn't it would dilute the appeal.

So should we hold the premier league every four years then? That would make it feel more special right? No, it wouldn't.

Ha in fact by your argument why don't we hold the premier league every other year and do the super league on alternating years? You'd be all for that surely, it would make both feel more special.

 

[BaZ87]

I think oversaturation was certainly part of the concern for the neutral viewer.

Watching an English club like Man Utd play Barcelona is all the more of an event for everyone because it hasn't happened often - I think a couple of years ago and then near enough a decade before that? It becomes something far less special if they're playing each other 2 or 3 times a season year in year out.

Similarly England vs Germany as an international would lose some of the 'omg we're playing Germany' factor if we were watching it routinely every year.

This arguement is massively overplayed imo. I've not heard one supporter say they're fed up of watching Liverpool play Utd twice a season - why would they say it about Liverpool vs Real?

Is Liverpool vs Real/PSG etc in a group stage of the CL any more interesting to the neutral than Liverpool vs Utd in the League? I don't think so.

 

[UTmaniac]

I think a proper league of the top european clubs, without a knockout phase at the end of the season, where there was promotion and relegation between it and the top leagues at a national level would have appeal. So for example one season Man City would play league games only in the Euro league division, but the following season they are relegated back to the Premier League.

But how you decide the promotions and relegations to/from the Euro league could be a minefield.

 

[ThundyCat]

I wonder if the Premier league will issue some form of statement over what has happened over the last 3-4 days.

 

[Kenai]

This arguement is massively overplayed imo. I've not heard one supporter say they're fed up of watching Liverpool play Utd twice a season - why would they say it about Liverpool vs Real?

Is Liverpool vs Real/PSG etc in a group stage of the CL any more interesting to the neutral than Liverpool vs Utd in the League? I don't think so.

I didn't say it was a big issue nor that people would be 'fed up' - but they might be less interested. I'm not 'fed up' of watching Liverpool vs Utd but I don't go out of my way to watch it, why would I? It's just another match and it'll probably play out the same way it played out the last 2 or 3 times it was played in the previous 12 months.

Liverpool vs Real though, even if it's a group stage with less weight on the actual result is more interesting I think, yes - they're not teams that know each other inside out playing out the same tactical battles - it's a potentially completely new clash of styles, full of unknowns, players that they haven't learnt to play against, a different challenge for everyone involved. It's all amplified a bit from a normal game because the very fact it's not a normal game throws in far more unknowns and makes the entire thing more interesting to watch unfold. Similarly, I may well have interest in watching Real play Bayern, even though I have no investment in either team, as the fact it's a one off can throw up more interest but I don't really care about watching Bayern vs Dortmund for the 3rd or 4th time this season, last season or next season.

We naturally like to create 'special events' too - we wouldn't celebrate Christmas monthly because it'd completely dull how special it is, but who wouldn't want to exchange presents, decorate the house etc. monthly? It's a good thing, so doing it the same over and over, more and more must be better?

It's by no means a massive factor but I don't think it's not a factor at all.

 

[BaZ87]

I really don't agree with the entire argument. We played PSG the other season in the group stage and as a Liverpool fan that game was no bigger (or smaller) than when we play Chelsea in the League. They were both big, important(ish) games.

When people talk about the excitement of a Utd/Liverpool vs Real/Barca game, they're usually basing that on a CL quarter or semi final between those sides and yes, playing Barca in a semi final is more exciting than playing Barca in a group/league game but you're still going to have those Liverpool vs Barca quarter or semi finals. And the fact that we may have already played them in the group stage before will not dilute that semi final - what makes it so exciting is the fact that it's a semi final. You only have to look at the times Liverpool have played PL teams in the latter stages of the CL to see that - Liverpool vs Chelsea in 2005 & 07 and City in 17/18 were 3 of the biggest, most interesting European ties we've played. They weren't diluted by the fact that we'd played in the League a few months earlier - around 2005-2007 we seemed to be playing Chelsea 5 times per season and nobody was less interested, in fact it had the opposite effect with this rivalry being formed, making the games more interesting.

 

[wildman]

Nobody wants to see top teams playing the same top teams week in, week out.

apparently they do in the far east and the US ?

 

[wildman]

But again you're talking about excitement of the anticipation of the event rather than the event itself. If a band released two good albums a year then I'd be delighted. With the current system we instead get 2 albums a year but one of them is a **** match vs Burnley.

You're saying a neutral would prefer to watch one game of PSG vs City and one game of City vs Burnley instead of two of the former. I don't for a second believe that. I can buy smaller team supporters being against the 'lots of big games' aspect but for a neutral it's not really an argument imo.

as a neutral I would rather watch the burnley v city game as the neutral loves an under dog and there is always a decent chance that burnley will give city a good whipping

 

[Sasahara]

So should we hold the premier league every four years then? That would make it feel more special right? No, it wouldn't.

Ha in fact by your argument why don't we hold the premier league every other year and do the super league on alternating years? You'd be all for that surely, it would make both feel more special.

Your being will fully ignorant, the whole point of the European competition is it supposed to be a level above the norm, it's not a replacement for the premier league. (At least not yet)

 

[daz]

The key argument was the lack of sporting integrity of the competition; if you weren't a member of "the club", you would essentially be permanently excluded. There is zero chance PSG or Man City would have been involved in such a competition 20 years ago; yet joining a league like this 'solidifies' the owners' investments in their clubs, and precludes other teams from joining in the future.

The idea as it stands at the moment is dead in the water but a league like this has been talked about for 30 years, since before the European Cup became the Champions League. It would be an incredible spectacle and there would be no doubt that the winner of such a league over a whole season is the best team in Europe. I think there is a big argument for reforming the Champions League to make it closer to this idea. But then do you lose the magic of a 'cup' format? Which has its own drama and is perhaps unrivalled for creating those memorable nights of football?

 

[ik9000]

Given Perez' stance and comments, anyone else wondering if the big 6 are only out temporarily to complete the season, be awarded trophies and CL spots, and then launch it in September when the threat of points deduction, removal from finals, Arsenal relegation prospect, booting out of league + claims from TV companies due to media rights etc are removed/lessened?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the football equivalent of Hitler-Stalin pact to buy some time, knowing they're going to do it later regardless, but once they're better prepared for it.

 

[Sasahara]

Given Perez' stance and comments, anyone else wondering if the big 6 are only out temporarily to complete the season, be awarded trophies and CL spots, and then launch it in September when the threat of points deduction, removal from finals, Arsenal relegation prospect, booting out of league + claims from TV companies due to media rights etc are removed/lessened?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the football equivalent of Hitler-Stalin pact to buy some time, knowing they're going to do it later regardless, but once they're better prepared for it.

I think the English clubs dropped out because they are worried about government introducing ownership rules that could affect them. That's where they have the least power.

 

[robfosters]

Given Perez' stance and comments, anyone else wondering if the big 6 are only out temporarily to complete the season, be awarded trophies and CL spots, and then launch it in September when the threat of points deduction, removal from finals, Arsenal relegation prospect, booting out of league + claims from TV companies due to media rights etc are removed/lessened?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the football equivalent of Hitler-Stalin pact to buy some time, knowing they're going to do it later regardless, but once they're better prepared for it.

You think Arsenal are a relegation prospect?

 

[ik9000]

You think Arsenal are a relegation prospect?

With a hefty points penalty they could be. People were mentioning 20+ points deductions. Any less wouldn't affect city's title hopes significantly. Take that much off Arsenal and they're in the bottom 3.

 

[ik9000]

I think the English clubs dropped out because they are worried about government introducing ownership rules that could affect them. That's where they have the least power.

Ah but according to some folk on here the government can't do anything, even if they wanted to. I'm glad to see people are coming round to reality.

As I've said previously I think the government should push for this anyway, it's got opposition support so the gov. shouldn't have any difficulty getting it through if they're brave enough to go for it.

 

[The_One]

They tested the waters with this proposal it will get altered and launched again imo

 

[mysticsniper]

They tested the waters with this proposal it will get altered and launched again imo

Depends on what deal they've all done with UEFA in the past couple of days?

 

[robfosters]

With a hefty points penalty they could be. People were mentioning 20+ points deductions. Any less wouldn't affect city's title hopes significantly. Take that much off Arsenal and they're in the bottom 3.

Well that’s proof that points deductions and other punishments against clubs would be wrong. It’s not the players or fans fault the owners are greedy turds.