Alert: Next decades Netherlands will be the new Hungary of Europe. Once great, but slipped into mediocrity.

England will be a big winner of this concept. They have a huge internal television market and their inclusion in the highest tier is guaranteed (thus their players will learn quickly). Also ppl outside of England will be interested to follow them (Asia for ex.). The goodwill of the EPL brand will spill over to their NT in this new concept.
Same for Spain btw; their natural supporters also include vast areas of South America who have sympathy for them. Nobody cares for the Dutch national team except the Dutch themselves.

Look at the early years of the UCL. The EPL was still rather bad but UEFA devised something to prevent that Blackburn Rovers (and co) were obliged to play qualification rounds. The television companies (like ITV) demanded from UEFA an automatic inclusion regardless of quality. Source is: Anthony King - 'The European Ritual: Football in the New Europe.'

There's a reason why Rummenigge (of ECA) supports this plan.

Like we talked about this before; how big is the chance that Michy will be world class? You agreed with me that there's a gap in facilities that will not be closed down in the foreseeable future: "financially we won't compete on a level playing field in the forseeable future ... not only the medical staff and facilities are 'poorer' but also every other aspect receives more funds in rich clubs and NTs."

Eventually the British will learn - look at the Olympics.

 

Rummenigge is concerned about club football ... only approves the UNL with caution ... he'll oppose it when clubs feel that their interests are harmed ... UEFA will take care that clubs also have something to gain (at least more than they did in the current format of friendlies).

If the England NT wants to guarantee their inclusion in the highest tier via other means than sports reasons, that's an issue of unfairness ... mind you that IF hasn't materialized in the proposal (UEFA rankings will decide) ... however UEFA will not openly admit to fiddling and it has happened in the past ... also I'm not a fan of UEFA's rankings.

The money is another issue ... broadly speaking NTs get 50% of the revenue of their UNL ties (including tv rights) and the other 50% is distributed via other means (e.g. participation money and match bonuses). The most popular teams will still get the biggest slice ... same as in the current situation ... likewise for the international fanbase ... still 1 'huge fan' can make a big difference (like Mercedes does for Germany).

They hosted the previous Olympics ... always causes a huge medals boost ... but it returns to normal levels.

Michy is only 19yo ... very raw talent and still needs to unlock his potential ... he could very well be playing in the EPL next season and emulate Lukaku's or Benteke's progress ... if he succeeds, a spot opens up for another talent at Standard while he can take over a spot at that EPL club (a transfer is in the cards ... unsure about the destination though). I don't see our league improving ... unless it does, we'll lose our best talents to richer clubs ... so far our NT profits more than the England one yet our clubs suffer.

 

Not as powerless as FIBA v the NBA ... the basketball WC doesn't draw a crowd, but Brazil2014 will probably break new viewership records in football (actually only the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics draws a bigger crowd than the WC final but a ceremony isn't a sport ... the 100m dash is the most watched final yet doesn't even come close to the WC final, EURO final or UCL final).

I agree that Dutch and Belgian leagues will never be able to compete with the EPL ... that UNL final however will probably be able to compete with the FA Cup Final.

 

US is maybe indeed more important than Asia (because of their demographics they love obviously La Liga/Spain as well, or will at least follow it with interest - USA facebook accounts handed out the most 'likes' to FC Barcelona by a margin).

Other 'minor' markets on the EPL hook are the Scandinavian countries. Norway public television broadcasted English Cup and League matches live in the 1970s! [sic] Since the early 80s on a weekly base. That was in a time with no more than a handful television channels.

Or Adidas; the Dassler family in the past.

Anyway, you're right here, but what you say here also applies for European club football pre-Champions League era. "The most popular teams will still get the biggest slice" was also true for club football pre-Champions League but nowadays only a fair bit more so.

Yet there's no doubt that the UCL has resulted in profound changes.
Apart from the direct revenue-effect and revenue-sharing deals; UCL also cut away the early exits, against which club owners as Berlusconi lamented... Early exits meant unsteady revenues, unsteady exposure and thus also unsteady fanbases (success is necessary for 'fans') - those three aspects are all interlinked and interconnected of course.
The potential fanbases increased hugely when the UCL became established, but only for a select amount of teams of course.... This is one example and a obvious example (also acknowledged as such by owners). The 'Nations League' is applying UCL logic to the national team level.

Anyway, closer to home: Chelsea FC dictating who is allowed to become champion in the Eredivisie is a far bigger threat, and more immediate. Chelsea = evil! It needs to be terminated, at least within the Dutch borders.

 

You're right though that it has always been like that (but to a lesser extent). Funny anecdote is how European tv bosses and UEFA administrators complained during the early 70s that the Dutch club successes were not good for the television ratings and viewership figures...

 

http://www.worldsoccer.com/blogs/dutch-football-decline

 

Chelsea's management has been a factor in the decline of the Dutch league in the last decade with their loan/lease policies, youth poaching and their involvement with shady transfer networks. Wouldn't mind if UEFA removed that cancer from the sport.

If Jordania speaks the truth that Chelsea fears sanctions if Vitesse qualifies for the CL, then UEFA has more bite to them than I gave them credit for.

 

It's interesting why Netherlands seems to suffer more as other countries (Belgium for ex.)

I think it is because our biggest talents/players in the past developed late. The Ajax class of 1995, to a large extent home grown, didn't do anything of note in international youth tournaments. Also Cruijff/Van Basten only became the outstanding player after the age of 18/19. The Netherlands used to be really bad at the youth tournament level. That wasn't a big deal, because what the players become at the senior level is what matters (that was also the argument of the KNVB for selecting physically weak youth players). I cannot think of an Enzo Scifo who was already amazing at the age of 16/17 (except Seedorf?).

But when those dudes get picked away at an early age, it will be very problematic. Because the chance they fail is pretty big (see above: Dutch talents developing late is more like the rule than exception), and the general level/resistance in the Eredivisie itself becomes watered down - so that the new Van Basten will never improve - and surface.

And the new focus of the Dutch FA/clubs to take the international youth tournaments serious has a big side-effect in the way that it selects a different type of player.

 

Their current top teams Porto and Benfica are a grade stronger but looking at the share of Portuguese players is depressive:

Benfica: of the 18 players with the most league starts, only one is Portuguese (Ruben Amorim, aged 29). Their first 12 players with the highest market value are not eligible for the Portugal NT.

Porto: of the 18 players with the most league starts, three are Portuguese (Josue, aged 23; Lica, aged 25; Varela, aged 29). Two of the first 12 players with highest market value are Portuguese (Josue & Varela). The seven most expensive players are not avalaible for the Portugal NT.


Not sure whether that is a much better situation as the one of the Netherlands. However, they do have players in the 23-29 age range playing in their own country for a 'top 20 of Europe' club.
In the Eredivisie that is more or less out of the question: every Dutch player above the age of 22 who can kick a ball straight doesn't play in the Eredivisie.

 

Where are they mostly playing?? England right??

 

Yes.

Even Eastern Europe. Azerbaijan for example. Or other 'obscure' leagues (like the Dutchies playing at Red Bull Zalzburg some years ago like Mendes da Silva).

 

Probably it will also increase the share of foreigners at your club. It happened to the Portuguese clubs, it seems. Most of their assets are property of third parties. They kinda lost authority over their own club.
The sad truth is too that those third parties do not invest in Portugal itself (youth academies), but in South America. Because those players sell better and deliver more money as someone with a Portguese flag behind his name. That's the sad reality.

 

Would you entertain the thought of a BeNe League ... with financially sound clubs that can offer their top talents more reasons to stay longer?

In only the second season the women of the BeNe League have shown that this formula is a considerable improvement ... both on the pitch and in the bank. With a potential audience of 28M a men's BeNe League will mean more revenue (tv rights, sponsors, etc.) and a stronger league with the best clubs of both our countries.

At least we could merge the Dutch and Belgian cup competitions ... currently those matches do not generate a lot of interest ... still welcome to the Europa League: Lokeren & PEC Zwolle (although they could do well and add to the UEFA coefficient).

 

Yes, I support that idea but not sure whether UEFA (and the major powers) will ever accept that. I'm afraid that the typical political and commercial forces will turn it into such a touthless proposal that it isn't really an option. I mean, 15 years ago Van Raaij (chairman PSV) had the plan to form a Transatlantic league because he saw what satellite TV, the UCL, new fans from Asia and Latin America etc. started to unleash. But UEFA blocked that, and esp. Germany vetoed it (that's no lie).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_League_(football)

 

UEFA will never accept it. If the Dutch and Belgian league can merge, what's to stop the Germans, French and/or Italians to do the same? Or the Premier League inviting non-English top sides. It would set the precedent for a pan national superleague outside of UEFA control.

 

I agree with that but remember how minor exceptions do exist like Welsh teams being part of EPL/FL structure and Monaco part of French structure.
FC Barcelona has already said that if Catalonia gains independence, they would remain part of Spanish league anyway.

Just for setting this clear: Van Raaij proposed the transatlantic league because major clubs of the larger markets opposed a superleague in the early 90s. Citing 'wiki':
"By 2001, Fossen had abandoned a parallel idea of setting up a completely Europe-wide league competition (the Euroleague) - he had forwarded this idea through the influential G-14 group of clubs, of which PSV was a member, but was forced to relent following opposition from clubs in the largest national leagues like England and Germany."

Of course the major nations opposed it at that time, because they saw how the future years would put countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Scotland etc. on a big distance. The Netherlands (and Belgium) had at that time more to gain from a 'superleague' as England would do (that's nowadays the other way around! & the major clubs had already changed their position/opinion by the late 90s - threatening with a breakaway league in 1998-1999).

In any event, that proposed 'atlantic league' was already a reaction to a vetoed superleague (vetoed by the larger associations).

 

That was my bad, I should have said non-UK sides. I was thinking of the EPL inviting top sides from leagues like Italy, France, Portugal etc.

Wales, Scotland and England are all part of the United Kingdom, a single national entity, so there would be no legal precedent for the rest of Europe if they joined the EPL. AS Monaco is a French registered club located in Monaco so it also avoids the issue of teams leaving their national leagues.

 

AS Monaco falls under the Monaco tax laws though... which are very favourable for them in comparison with the French clubs. Therefore they are forced to pay a 'solidarity tax' to the French league organization. I thought it is now 50 million, with 20 million under the previous arrangement (or the other way around - have to look it up. They pay anyway a sum to the French league organization as compensation for the Monaco laws and the unequal playing field it generates).

 

Here it is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25887943

 

UEFA's stance has changed ... Platini even favours that small countries merge because the gap with the big leagues is huge and widens every season ... the idea of a joint Russian-Ukrainian league also emerged but those are big states and don't meet UEFA's principles ... we do though. I can understand that e.g. Germany wants other competitors to remain small ... however this doesn't mean we should listen to those who are serving their own interests.

The women's BeNe League is an experiment to see if a merger will have the desired effect ... an evaluation is scheduled after 3 seasons and if successful talks can start ... we're nearing the end of the 2nd season now and the BeNe League formula has already proven to be a considerable improvement ... it could very well be that we switch to a men's BeNe League soon.

At the moment Standard is the only Walloon club that could join the BeNe League ... the owner is Flemish and one of the biggest proponents ... with him in charge, it would be the ideal moment to start. The distances would still remain small as almost all Belgian clubs are located in the North ... even (Standard) Luik is close to Maastricht.

PS we don't have to merge from the beginning ... we could start with an 'engagement period' ... a BeNe League Orange and a BeNe League Red until we can work out all the details.

 

Seeing Blattie is getting handed a golden throne by Putler in 2018 he will most likely cheer it on.