Not sure I totally understand this, but I hope players have the freedom to sign with any club; I think this is an important distinction from the international game.
Correct, the Welsh teams have been shut out of any Welsh competitions and that is the model I support. If you move to another pyramid then you need to take the good with the bad - in this case a tougher European qualification. I don't like the Canadian situation (that is quite unique together with Liechtenstein) and would like to see that door closed. If the CONCACAF CL had even 1/4 of the prize money of its UEFA counterpart the Canadian qualification would be highly controversial.
I would prefer national teams, but I would accept allow franchises to sign players from other participating countries. But no European, African or South American imports, the point is to develop local talent.
Celtic and Rangers to join "new" English 5th Division? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...gue-to-consider-celtic-and-rangers-for-inclu/ Or perhaps the North Atlantic League that is rumored to be back on the table? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...UEFA-bow-Europe-s-elite-cash-grab-begins.html
The Atlantic League was back on the table earlier this year (in february during the ECA meeting in Paris) ... as leverage or a contingency plan if the big boys went ahead with a break-away Super League ... with the 2018 reform favouring the big boys ... the "lesser leagues" can fight over how the remaining 14 spots will be allocated now ... there probably won't be an Atlantic League (unless the big boys break away in another reform) ... it's just a bargaining chip. From earlier this year (in Dutch): - http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20160214_02128225 - http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/25200791/__Eredivisie_in_tegenaanval__.html - http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/v...__Briljant_idee_Van_Raaij_nu_realiteit__.html Also this:
The value of that 'bargaining chip' will only decline. With e.g. the scramble for the herds in Asia taking place now. It is now or never.
According to this a Balkan League is at the most advanced stage of planning: I guess things are on hold until the new UEFA president is determined.
Haha ... for 25 years Holland and Belgium have toyed with the idea of a BeNe League ... yet a Balkan League is at the most advanced stage of planning ... Balkan countries are known for giving each other the warm and fuzzies, right? ... the security at some of those games will have to be tight AF ... if a Balkan League comes together before a BeNe League (or an Atlantic League) => SMH
The Balkan league is a TV package I would sign up for! That'd be intense. Mind you, a leage with Ajax that includes Belgium teams (and maybe others- Scotland, Ireland?, etc...) would be great too.
Well, apparently there is a well functioning Balkan Basketball league so it is not that far fetched. Obviously travelling support would have to be banned to minimize security concerns.
That door's been shut for now: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...gue-three-with-expansion-to-106-league-clubs/
The latest on the ASEAN Super League: http://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/news/...ces-more-delays-zainudin-insists-it-will-take Infantino chimes in: http://www.ibtimes.sg/asean-super-league-fifa-president-gianni-infantino-shares-his-views-asl-5358 Too many pieces still missing for this to work.
There's constant talk last few weeks on regional league in Balkan area. New UEFA pres is Slovene, he comes to Zagreb (if I am right) to talk to local football chiefs about possible Ex-Yu league. Media say that there's money from UEFA for prizes and that they will help and that all is set to start in 2018/19, but FAs from the region want CL group stage spot for winners. In last 15 years teams from former country played 42 matches in CL winning only ONE. LOL. They are modest. Supporters (ultras) from four biggest clubs (Dinamo, Hajduk, Crvena zvezda, Partizan) made it clear - they don't want joint competitions at all.
Asean Super League may face further delays: http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/asean-super-league-may-face-further-delays You don't say...
The latest rumors of a European Super League: http://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2017/02/06/5898651fe2704e3b5a8b4571.html
I don't want a Super League. The list of possible invited clubs includes Marseille, who has a worse club coefficient than Tottenham and seven Spanish clubs who weren't listed.
If it goes through (I hope it won't as that means death to all mid-level teams, not to talk about lower ones), they will invite teams based on money, marketing, TV-audience criteria, not UEFA coefficient. EDIT: Unless UEFA starts it on it's own which is pretty unlikely - it's more likely they change CL format to 6/8/10-team groups.
Neither do I, but the potential revenues will keep this firmly on the agenda. From the above article: A European Super League is likely to top NFL money. Faced with the choice of either backing the ESL or losing the Deloitte Money League I think UEFA (and FIFA) would get on board and sanction it, if only to preserve the national team game - the money pot their associations depend on. The red lines of negotiation would be the following: - Continued participation of players in World Cup and Euros. - Revenue sharing with UEFA/national leagues. - Promotion/relegation with the Europa League.
I dislike self-selected club leagues. Every team in every national league should have the chance of qualifying.
It's now official, the ASEAN Super League is dead: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/my/news/proposed-asean-super-league-dead-and-buried-afc
I'm good with this. I've come to the conclusion that I believe every country should have its own national league.
I disagree. Our experience in North America is an example, Canada is so spread out, better for Vancouver to be in a league with Seattle and Portland than not. Also the English/Wales example seems to work pretty well. Obviously its up to the locals, but I could see a Netherlands/Belgium league, or a Scandinavian league, or Central America, etc... Big clubs stuck in small countries seems so unnecessarily limiting.
Apparently a Netherlands/Belgium merger is back on the table: https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/...tball-superleague-cross-border-uefa-proposal/ @Paul Calixte - can we get rid of the ASEAN Super League in the title. That one is dead and buried.