Multi-nation leagues should be allowed

[aloisius]

UEFA is still stubbornly sticking to its “one nation, one league” principle. When asked about the possibility of Rangers and Celtic joining the English league Aigner said that it’s not the solution and that we should try to help Scottish football became more balanced. But can he comprehend that a country of 6 million can not have as strong a league as a country of 50 million if they are similarly developed. The only way the Scottish league can get more balanced is if Rangers and Celtic become worse. The solution for the smaller countries is to join up with each other or with their bigger neighbours.

[AvidSinger]

I wonder how FIFA's ruling would apply to leagues such as MLS. Here, every major sport except American football has franchises in Canada, and I'm quite certain MLS will eventually want to expand into the Canadian market. We already have A-League teams there, in fact.

[MikeyPez]

hmmm good point avid....

fuzzy wuzzy was a bear
fuzzy wuzzy had no hair

[Germanshepherd]

I don`t think such a rule exists.

By the way it wouldn`t even matter because Sotland and England aren`t independent nations.

[SankaCofie]

i'd always heard such a rule exists.

and the're independant enough to have their own FAs which i think is the real problem with that idea.

but i'm not at all in favour of multi-state leagues.

why ruin scottish soccer?

why open the door for all the good clubs to leave their countries leagues in europe?

[skipshady]

Originally posted by SankaCofie
why open the door for all the good clubs to leave their countries leagues in europe? This is probably the biggest danger. Take the Dutch league for example - it's pretty top heavy, with Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord dominating on the field and in money and attendance as well. If they were to leave the league, it would be the end of Dutch soccer as we know it, as other clubs simply won't have enough money to compete.

Then again, Cardiff plays in the Football League in England even though Wales has its own FA.....

[AFCA]

I think eventually this might have some pro's that outweigh the con's.

But instead of thinking about realistic ideas like that, Europe's club presidents (from 2nd tier powers) are fingering themselves up the arse with eurobills in their eyes because they have this hot idea they call euroleague.

So forget about any good solutions. They think they've found the goose with the golden eggs and will not stop pursuing it, no matter how much supporters say they will not stand for it.

[AFCA]

Originally posted by skipshady
This is probably the biggest danger. Take the Dutch league for example - it's pretty top heavy, with Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord dominating on the field and in money and attendance as well. If they were to leave the league, it would be the end of Dutch soccer as we know it, as other clubs simply won't have enough money to compete.

Then again, Cardiff plays in the Football League in England even though Wales has its own FA.....

Joining leagues is one thing. Clubs stepping out on their own is bad news.

BTW clubs like Utrecht, Vitesse and Heerenveen have the potential to make it a Dutch top 5 or 6. Both in attendences as on the field. All they need is someone with money and actual vision (money only will get you nowhere)

[Bryan Gividen]

AFCA: My thoughts exactly. I'd love to see some rich guy (much like Abramovich who just bought Chelsea) go into either the Scottish Premier League or the Eredivisie and just got spending out the wazoo to create a competitive team. I mean, Rangers, Celtic, PSV Eindhoeven, Feyenord, and Ajax all have quality sides, but (and especially in the case of the first two), it wouldn't take much to put together a team to givem them a run for their money.

Using the SPL as an example, anyone NOT from Glasgow would love this team because they're an outsider... man, I should just start saving now...

[rymannryan]

Originally posted by Bryan Gividen
man, I should just start saving now...


:)

[Bonji]

Originally posted by Germanshepherd
I don`t think such a rule exists.

By the way it wouldn`t even matter because Sotland and England aren`t independent nations.

And the Scotts have the English and probably don't want to be taken over in the football realm. They fought got their freedom to have their own league.

[Doctor Stamen]

If there is to be a merging of Scottish and English leagues, I want all the teams to join. I'd rather not have the Old Firm on their own, as they are greedy, bigotted and generally horrible. And if they did come on their own, they should start at the bottom like all new entrants (e.g. AFC Wimbledon). If all the Scottish clubs came aboard, the less pleasant aspects of the Old Firm clubs may be diluted.

[Excape Goat]

Originally posted by Germanshepherd
I don`t think such a rule exists.



It does exist. If a country enters their club team in the first divsion(lower divsion okay) their NT is not allowed to play in FIFA touranment. For example, Monaco does not have a NT.

Howver, FIFA also has a grading system for leagues. Some leagues are considered to be 2nd Grade(or 2d divison), despite being the top divsion in their countries. TFor example, Sinagpore in the eraly 90's was allowed to play the top divison at Malaysian league while keeping its NT status. And Canadian teams were allowed to play in the A-league in the pre-MLS days.

Right now, MLS are not allowed to expand into Canada.

[aloisius]

Originally posted by Doctor Stamen
If there is to be a merging of Scottish and English leagues, I want all the teams to join. I'd rather not have the Old Firm on their own, as they are greedy, bigotted and generally horrible. And if they did come on their own, they should start at the bottom like all new entrants (e.g. AFC Wimbledon). If all the Scottish clubs came aboard, the less pleasant aspects of the Old Firm clubs may be diluted.
That's what I am talking about! I would like to see the merger of whole systems. I don't think that they should start from the bottom. The top three in Scotland should be allowed in the premiership,the other SPL teams should be put in division 1 and so on. In two years time, through promotion and relegation everyone would play in the league they deserve.
I think Belgium and Holland are an even better example. They could form a joint league with, say 9 dutch and 6 belgium clubs. The 2. division would also be Dutch-belgian with the split on the third level. This would be a very good league and would mean that a club like Ajax would not have to sell it's players every year.I would mind the two of them joining France and forming another truly great league in Europe.

[RobtheAggie]

Going along with what has been said, there has been talk in combining the Swiss Super League and the Austrian Bundesliga. UEFA has very openly said they would not approve of this.

There are Five teams in Europe that play in other leagues than their national ones. The three Welsh teams who play in the English leagues, AC Monaco, and FC Vaduz. Because FC Vaduz is not in the Swiss Super League, their situiation is a little different. But the four other teams can not qualify for the UEFA Cup nor CL from their respective countries. By joining a "foreign league" they have renounced their right to claim a spot from their nation.

Obvisouly Monaco does not have a league worth discussing. I am still not sure why the three Welsh teams were allowed to play in England. Vaduz plays in Switzerland because the national league is an amateur one. They are getting better and there has been much discussion over whether or not they will be allowed to play in the Swiss Super League, and keep their UEFA Cup Spot.

[AvidSinger]

Originally posted by Excape Goat
Right now, MLS are not allowed to expand into Canada. That's quite a foreign concept to us, though. American sports leagues expand into Canada as though the border between us didn't exist. I'm fairly sure that, in time, MLS is going to appeal to FIFA on that basis.

[denver_mugwamp]

Who told you that? The MLS can and will expand into Canada, probably in 2006. Anybody watch FSW last night where they were talking about the stadium in Toronto? Nobody (Garber included) has ever mentioned a problem with FIFA not letting them do this. My guess is that Canadians would lose their international status. Everything else--league structure, draft, salary cap, etc would stay the same.

As for Europe, I see increasing pressure to create a Super League of all the big teams in Europe. Teams are becoming more dependant on the Champion's League money. There will be a movement to no longer have to qualify in the national leagues in order to compete. I doubt these issues will be resolved for many years.

[michaec]

Originally posted by denver_mugwamp
Who told you that? The MLS can and will expand into Canada, probably in 2006. Anybody watch FSW last night where they were talking about the stadium in Toronto? Nobody (Garber included) has ever mentioned a problem with FIFA not letting them do this. My guess is that Canadians would lose their international status. Everything else--league structure, draft, salary cap, etc would stay the same.

As for Europe, I see increasing pressure to create a Super League of all the big teams in Europe. Teams are becoming more dependant on the Champion's League money. There will be a movement to no longer have to qualify in the national leagues in order to compete. I doubt these issues will be resolved for many years. Interesting, I can't believe that Canada would give up their international team in order to have MLS team(s) in Canada. And if the MLS did expand into Canada and the Canadian national team is kept expect a free-for-all in Europe where teams from all over join the bigger leagues (as in the Old Firm joining the Premiership) or leagues from separate countries merging (as in the Dutch/Belgian/French idea suggested above).

[AvidSinger]

Originally posted by michaec
Interesting, I can't believe that Canada would give up their international team in order to have MLS team(s) in Canada. And if the MLS did expand into Canada and the Canadian national team is kept expect a free-for-all in Europe where teams from all over join the bigger leagues (as in the Old Firm joining the Premiership) or leagues from separate countries merging (as in the Dutch/Belgian/French idea suggested above). I'm not so sure. After all, the United States has a history of expansion into Canada that goes back almost three decades. I'm sure FIFA would take this into consideration should MLS decide to expand into Canada.

Also, MLS is not governed by UEFA, who could certainly not base their decisions on anything a CONCACAF league has done.

[denver_mugwamp]

I don't think so. Having the NHL in Canada and the US hasn't consolidarted the national hockey teams. Having all European soccer players able to play in any European national league without worrying about work permits hasn't ended the national teams there. When MLS expands into Canada, my hope is that it improves the Canadian national team. They can help us beat up on the Mexicans.