The 2020-2021 Football Thread

[Scepticalscribe]

Extraordinary and unfolding news re the (imploding) Super League.

Credit, also, to Pep Guardiola, (and the always impressive Jurgen Klopp) - Guardiola had observed that, "it's not sport if you can't lose" - who both made scathing statements on the Super League earlier this afternoon.

 

[takao]

Well I expected harsher comments from Klopp... but I guess He used the left over constrain he had for not be furious.

Part of the kiss of death for,this league construct was the utter lies the leaders used in discussions with uefa and other teams.
UEFA adjusted the CL rules literally for the wealthy clubs and and 12 drop out when it’s announced. As a football fan from a small country the CL rules get stoked more and more against us every year and not even that is enough for them.
There are clubs winning every year leagues in Europe and only receive small change and some like Tottenham wants to be some big gun ?

Additionally the comments about them look for 3 other permanent members and PSG, Bayern, Dortmund refusing to join also makes it clear that some spanners got thrown in the mix.
Bayern is always there when more money is to be earned, but at the end of the day they are still former players. on more than one occasion they helped other clubs in dire financial needs by playing friendlies to collect cash for the rescue of the other club.
And Dortmund, a public traded company knows that it is nothing without its „legacy“ fans.
PSG is the miracle though... looks like their owner is actually a football fan.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

It won’t matter whether they clash or not as they would be excluded from the EPL anyway should they leave for the super league. The cards are starting to crumble though thank goodness.

It's all devastating for Liverpool fans though. FSG have permanently destroyed their relationship with the fans overnight - they were, if not the ringleaders, at least among the most enthusiastic supporters of this idea. It's worse than Hicks and Gillette in some ways.

 

[Bruninho]

It won’t matter whether they clash or not as they would be excluded from the EPL anyway should they leave for the super league. The cards are starting to crumble though thank goodness.

Errrr...

Judge prohibits UEFA, FIFA and domestic leagues from taking action against the Super League - Football España

The 17th Mercantile Court of Madrid has this Tuesday adopted precautionary measures against any body who will look to prevent the launch of the Super League according to Mundo Deportivo. The court has taken this decision to prohibit FIFA, UEFA and each of the three leagues involved in the...

www.football-espana.net

 

[Apple fanboy]

It's all devastating for Liverpool fans though. FSG have permanently destroyed their relationship with the fans overnight - they were, if not the ringleaders, at least among the most enthusiastic supporters of this idea. It's worse than Hicks and Gillette in some ways.

At least City and Chelsea have shown some class and pulled out. The rest are still clearly thinking its a good idea even though its collapsed. I can imagine some of the chants now!

Meanwhile Chelsea are lucky to get a draw against Brighton. Not a bad result for us.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Errrr...

Judge prohibits UEFA, FIFA and domestic leagues from taking action against the Super League - Football España

The 17th Mercantile Court of Madrid has this Tuesday adopted precautionary measures against any body who will look to prevent the launch of the Super League according to Mundo Deportivo. The court has taken this decision to prohibit FIFA, UEFA and each of the three leagues involved in the...

www.football-espana.net

Old news. The ESL is dead now.

 

[Bruninho]

Without an official announcement, nothing to comment. If its true, sad day then. The Super League was/is the CORRECT answer to corruption in FIFA and UEFA. I'll support whatever team stays with the Super League if it still goes forward, has to go forward, needs to go forward, otherwise UEFA corruption will win.

 

[michael9891]

The ESL won't happen, it's already crumbling down and teams dropping out. But the damage has been done with the intent.

The only people I've seen in favour of this absolute shambles of an idea are fans who "support" foreign teams & haven't got a clue about football. Fans who pick a big team who's winning and like to pretend they know everything.

Some comments I've seen on here are no surprise, sums up their knowledge of football.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

What worries me most is that this ESL idea is not dead. This was just a skirmish.

At least City and Chelsea have shown some class and pulled out. The rest are still clearly thinking its a good idea even though its collapsed. I can imagine some of the chants now!

Oh, there will be 'banter'. But of course very few of the people (players, fans, staff) who have to take it in public are responsible or even sympathetic to this horrible ESL idea.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well I expected harsher comments from Klopp... but I guess He used the left over constrain he had for not be furious.

Part of the kiss of death for,this league construct was the utter lies the leaders used in discussions with uefa and other teams.
UEFA adjusted the CL rules literally for the wealthy clubs and and 12 drop out when it’s announced. As a football fan from a small country the CL rules get stoked more and more against us every year and not even that is enough for them.
There are clubs winning every year leagues in Europe and only receive small change and some like Tottenham wants to be some big gun ?

Additionally the comments about them look for 3 other permanent members and PSG, Bayern, Dortmund refusing to join also makes it clear that some spanners got thrown in the mix.
Bayern is always there when more money is to be earned, but at the end of the day they are still former players. on more than one occasion they helped other clubs in dire financial needs by playing friendlies to collect cash for the rescue of the other club.
And Dortmund, a public traded company knows that it is nothing without its „legacy“ fans.
PSG is the miracle though... looks like their owner is actually a football fan.

Re PSG, - and Simon Kuper (who has written some very fine work on football - such as his book "Football Against the Enemy" in the 1990s) remarked - quoted in the Guardian, that clubs owned by oligarchs (who are already exceptionally wealthy, and for whom, while owning football clubs may well be a vanity project, making money is not necessarily their prime objective, though they'd prefer if this project did not bankrupt them) - such as Chelsea, yes, PSG, and Manchester City, - are not necessarily driven by the same imperatives or motivations as those football clubs owned by American venture capitalists.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Without an official announcement, nothing to comment. If its true, sad day then. The Super League was/is the CORRECT answer to corruption in FIFA and UEFA. I'll support whatever team stays with the Super League if it still goes forward, has to go forward, needs to go forward, otherwise UEFA corruption will win.

It’s dead because people have seen sense. Top teams have pulled out. Great victory for common sense. Great victory for the fans.
Fifa and UEFA are not perfect (far from it). But at least they understand that football needs to be a pyramid. Any closed system where special elect teams get a place no matter how rubbish they are is fundamentally wrong. No one wants that. As I said earlier you are the only person I’ve seen in favour of it. Nobody else.

 

[Apple fanboy]

What worries me most is that this ESL idea is not dead. This was just a skirmish.

Oh, there will be 'banter'. But of course very few of the people (players, fans, staff) who have to take it in public are responsible or even sympathetic to this horrible ESL idea.

I’m not saying things won’t change. But the big difference is it will be for the top teams. Not the entitled who think they are the top teams!

 

[Bruninho]

It’s dead because people have seen sense. Top teams have pulled out. Great victory for common sense. Great victory for the fans.
Fifa and UEFA are not perfect (far from it). But at least they understand that football needs to be a pyramid. Any closed system where special elect teams get a place no matter how rubbish they are is fundamentally wrong. No one wants that. As I said earlier you are the only person I’ve seen in favour of it. Nobody else.

This is not a victory. This is a loss. Again, corruption won. Congratulations, "So this is how democracy dies, with a thunderous applause".

 

[michael9891]

I'll support whatever team stays with the Super League if it still goes forward

The definition of a "fan" who doesn't understand football.

 

[Bruninho]

Well, then enjoy your fabulous Apoel vs Milan and Ferencvaros vs Man Utd matches in group stage. Pretty sure these stupid matches do not give any money, not more than a Milan vs Man Utd.

I only start watching UCL when they are on quarter finals. But this one I am not - 3 of the 4 teams have never won it or are not champions of anything.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I’m not saying things won’t change. But the big difference is it will be for the top teams. Not the entitled who think they are the top teams!

Top teams who have to continue to prove themselves the top teams by actually winning competitions and continuing to do so.

Not just those who are the top teams today (who might not be in this position in a few years' time), let alone those who think they are the top teams.

 

[Apple fanboy]

This is not a victory. This is a loss. Again, corruption won. Congratulations, "So this is how democracy dies, with a thunderous applause".

Isn’t the death of democracy when 12 clubs decide we don’t need qualification anymore? So more like a dictatorship? Love the Palpatine reference but you literally have it completely the wrong way round!

 

[michael9891]

Please do not talk to me, nor mention my name, as you're being ignored and don't come back until your team have such honours:

Honours - FC Barcelona Official Channel

In the Club's museum on show are the the four European Cup/Champions League titles won in Wembley (1992, 2011), Paris (2006), Rome (2009), Berlin (2015) and the FIFA Club World Cups won in Abu Dhabi and Japan (2009, 2011 and 2015)

www.fcbarcelona.com

Adios.

You repeatedly tell me I'm being ignored, while replying to me. 😂

Does the term "glory hunter" exist outside of England?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Top teams who have to continue to prove themselves the top teams by actually winning competitions and continuing to do so.

Not just those who are the top teams today (who might not be in this position in a few years' time), let alone those who think they are the top teams.

Absolutely. 100% agree.

 

[Bruninho]

The teams need to break free from UEFA corruption and dictatorship. I don't want to see my team wasting time with games against low quality teams like Apoel, Ferencvaros, Maccabi Haifa and FC Midjtland in a tournament supposed to be a "Champions League". These teams are not champions of anything. Only champions should be allowed in it, not the second, third, fourth or even the fifth place of a domestic league through a pre-qualify match...

 

[michael9891]

The teams need to break free from UEFA corruption and dictatorship. I don't want to see my team wasting time with games against low quality teams like Apoel, Ferencvaros, Maccabi Haifa and FC Midjtland in a tournament supposed to be a "Champions League". These teams are not champions of anything. Only champions should be allowed in it, not the second, third, fourth or even the fifth place of a domestic league through a pre-qualify match...

So Barcelona shouldn't have played in the UCL this season.

 

[Apple fanboy]

The teams need to break free from UEFA corruption and dictatorship. I don't want to see my team wasting time with games against low quality teams like Apoel, Ferencvaros, Maccabi Haifa and FC Midjtland in a tournament supposed to be a "Champions League". These teams are not champions of anything. Only champions should be allowed in it, not the second, third, fourth or even the fifth place of a domestic league through a pre-qualify match...

But you were supporting a system where the team that finished 10th or 12th or 50th would be in Europe? How strange?

 

[Bruninho]

But you were supporting a system where the team that finished 10th or 12th or 50th would be in Europe? How strange?

I was supporting a system were I would watch bigger games between top quality teams instead of games against low quality teams like Apoel, FC Salzburg or the bloody FC Krasnodar from nowhere.

A Man Utd vs Barcelona has much more appeal, interest, audience and money and quality than a Barcelona vs Krasnodar. I want my team to play against equally qualified teams and to earn more money. These small teams are not, and should not, be qualified to play in a Champions League. And as such, a Super league even without qualification was a better idea for Barcelona than a UCL with a group stage against tiny teams with no football quality.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I was supporting a system were I would watch bigger games between top quality teams instead of games against low quality teams like Apoel, FC Salzburg or the bloody FC Krasnodar from nowhere.

A Man Utd vs Barcelona has much more appeal, interest, audience and money and quality than a Barcelona vs Krasnodar. I want my team to play against equally qualified teams and to earn more money. These small teams are not, and should not, be qualified to play in a Champions League. And as such, a Super league even without qualification was a better idea for Barcelona than a UCL with a group stage against tiny teams with no football quality.

Equally qualified? Nope. Your supporting the opposite position. Teams that haven’t earns their place playing Barcelona. Very very strange view you have.

 

[Bruninho]

Equally qualified? Nope. Your supporting the opposite position. Teams that haven’t earns their place playing Barcelona. Very very strange view you have.

If you want to earn a place in Champions league to play against the likes of Barcelona, you have to win your national championship or your domestic cup. This is what I want. I do not want teams qualifying for UCL by finishing 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th in a domestic league. This is why the quality of the tournament is now very poor. I have no profit in a game against FC Krasnodar because no one wants to watch that game. But I have a huge profit in games gainst Madrid, Liverpool or Juventus. The group stage as it is, is not worth sending the team to play.

Let these stupid teams play against themselves in a group stage and join the top teams in a round of 16. No top teams in group stage. That would be somewhat better in the mess that is the UCL and corrupt UEFA inflating the championship with more and more low quality teams.