But China, India and others do buy the hype and that's what matters. No one in Europe seriously thinks there are big differences between the top3-4 leagues (as results show) but if for example, a billion Chinese watch EPL only, then they will automatically have bigger revenues. In some ways, it's cheating, because you are using marketing instead of results/quality to boost your league. That's why Europe should take Rummenigge's idea seriously about a continental League. There might be no choice soon, if Stoke can outspend Milan because of TV rights.
Interestingly, England had colonies in (Hong Kong) China and in India for years. Aren't they still part of the UK/English Commonwealth free trade and if they aren't, can these nations still aspire to become part of it?
Back in the days when I use to follow English soccer, I always remember Kingston upon Hull was always considered a rugby town with their dominating clubs, Hull F.C. and Hull Kingston Rovers. Reading more about it, I saw that Hull City won the Championship League playoff against Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at Wembley. Billed as the richest single game in football, the Tigers getting a conservative estimate of 200 million pounds by winning promotion to the Premier League. At the final whistle Hull became one of the richest clubs in European football. Supposedly, the Premier League signed a new TV deal that is about twice the amount of the previous one. Hull will now get to share in this. With this added income Premier League clubs will be able to sign even more high caliber players, further cementing the league as the most popular in the world.
Yes, that's why I say there may be no choice soon. It's like an arms race, and it forces drastic measures. One option is the super-league. Have Madrid, Barca, PSG, Bayern, Dortmund, Juve, Milan, Roma, Porto, Ajax +10 others play week in, week out. That would blow away EPL in terms of TV money, but it would also hurt the national leagues. Another is for EUFA to kick out EPL teams from the Champions League. Keep the revenue in-house. Or, you could ask EPL to redistribute some of their revenue as it's destabilizing the rest of the Euro leagues. Something will have to give soon... Even Marrotta was complaining about it recently.
I personally despise the EPL because of the money as well, but it's not their own doing. They're not stupid. It's because "Pravish" and "Liu Kang" from two different countries know nothing about football and find the most marketed thing for themselves and latch on to it. That's why I always find that Italian and Spanish fans seem to know football more than the average fan of another league. Following those leagues and what they have done for the innovation of football tactics to it's core, plus the players that have played there; if you're a fan, you know all about it. But really, the popularity of the EPL is right down to a few things. The farce that brought down Italy led to the meteorical rise of the EPL's popularity once their was an exodus of starts from Italy. Marketing the English language is a hell of a lot easier than marketing Italian, Spanish or German. Case in point, United finished in 5th, and are in Europa league, yet based on revenue, made as much as Real Madrid, whom finished second in their league and won the CL. It's ridiculous. The winners of every other league don't even make as much as Aston Villa (who got relegated). Bayern makes like 38 mill from winning, Aston Villa made 64 mill purely from playing in the league and then getting relegated. For the record, for all the money in the English game, I don't think it will ever be the best league. Quality of young talent is low, no ingrained history minus a few clubs, players more loyal their to money rather than the clubs and youth systems abroad are much better. Spain will still be strong and if Italy's you initiative happens soon, Italy will catch up.
Thank you! When I posted this in another thread, one poster tried to singled me out that I was wrong and tried to be critical of me for even suggesting it. I'm glad I'm not alone here. The English language of course helps sponsorship's and brings in mega American, Indian Japanese, and Chinese revenue. Obviously the games are not marketed to those countries native languages and if they are, they may be translated later. English is the world's #1 language in trade , politics and world affairs. I don't see how it can not be a factor.
How realistic is that super-league idea? I've heard about it before but nothing ever seemed to progress. It's an awesome idea. I'm sure UEFA makes a fortune off of the BPL participation. There's no way they're gonna remove themselves from that. What about a UEFA wide salary cap?
Berlusconi wanted to do this European Super in the late 80's and early 90's but never could. That was when they changed the name of the European Cup to the Champions League. I don't think that will happen really.... UEFA like FIFA are making money hand over foot... This would be good and will help the smaller clubs because as it is, the spending has gotten too far out of reach.
The corruption and old way of thinking ruins the Italian league. Once you get rid of those two things and put the right people in place who have some sort of forward thinking then maybe we can be saved. As per the English I just hope they don't start getting smarter. They have all this money yet their tactics stink, their scouting stinks, and the way they develop their youth (mainly because of tactical inferiority) hurts them. Hopefully they don't realize with all the money they can start changing that but I just don't think they will to be honest. The way they play is engrained in who they are and that may never change. Starting a super league to me doesn't interest me. I like having different leagues and having a champions league. I understand those who like the idea though. What I wouldn't be opposed to is some kind of salary cap. Doesn't have to be anything crazy (like in North American sports) but enough that Real can't spend as much as 17 of the other teams in La Liga combined. I still like the idea that big teams are big teams and can build dynasty teams and not have to give away their best players every few years because they can't afford them anymore. Just enough that you somewhat level the playing ground a little more so the same team isn't winning the champions league every 2 seasons or whatever. In order to do this however, it has to be done across Europe.
It all comes down to not many people caring about the national team until the tournament comes around every two years. Fans don't lose sleep when Italy gets eliminated or loses. Yeah they care for a little bit and complain and all but everyone goes right back to worrying and caring about their club team right away. Pirlo has been a member of the Italian national team from 2002-2015. With the exception of some of us online and a few others here and there, you don't have rioting banging down the FIGC's door like the Romanisti do for Roma in regards to Totti or like when Signori was almost transferred from Lazio to Parma. The bottom line is the tifosi want their clubs to be the best and then and they don't think about the national team. If that team is good (as they historically are) then so be it but again, its not the fans priority....Its been like this for as long as I remember.
I agree that for most it is this way. I think just naturally you are going to care more about your club team because you watch them a lot more. The Euros and World Cup are every two years for a month but your club team is every year and for the majority of that year. Naturally because you invest more time and effort into that you will care more. I will say though when Italy won in 2006 it was a feeling and experience like no other and every time they've lost and been kicked out of a tournament in the later rounds it has been painful but after a little while you get better considering you have to wait another two years to go back at it again.
Oh of course. Especially when you win. I was living in Florence during WC 2002 and Euro 2004 and no one seemed to care when Italy exited early. I mean everyone blamed Byron Moreno for a day or so but that was about it. In 02, all I remember were the Brazilian nationals working in San Lorenzo market parading around but no one cried when Italy was eliminated. Its kind of like the Coppa Italia. When you lose, everyone thinks about the next league match and at that time what was going on with the calciopoli scandal. When Italy faced and lost 0-2 to Croatia in Livorno on August 16th, 2006, exactly one month after winning the WC tournament, no one seemed to notice or care. I did because I moved back home to the USA watching the Rai but all my friends and relatives in Italy at the time were either at the beach or in the mountains on vacation. No one even noticed or cared. This nonchalant mentality also translates to club fans in regards to the national team , anyway.
I just think in general it's hard to get into National teams for most people. They don't play many games in a given year and it's so spaced out during the year. Not to mention the fact that what 50% of the games are meaningless friendlies that I would imagine only diehard fans get into. I do like the idea about the Nations League tho. Get rid of the friendlies. They play so few games a year......make them all count somewhat.
i'm surprised that you even cared about that result. If i recall correctly.. it was a friendly and not a single player on the world cup roster was dressed that day.
I don't and didn't care about it at all and neither did anyone else in Italy. The only one who was trying to save face was Livorno's Aldo Spinelli who presented new CT Roberto Donadoni with some sort of award and this was after he fired him or forced him to resign only a few months prior. My point was, Italy won the World Cup exactly 5 weeks before and there weren't any hordes of fans celebrating, or anyone else for that matter that even cared that Italy was playing. I don't recall a bunch of Romanisti , Milanisti, Juventini or Laziali fan clubs supporting or even celebrating Italy's victory tour. No one cared. This is exactly after Italy won a World Cup. Same thing happened when Italy lost to France 3-1 , 3 weeks later on on September 6th. The point is no one cared and no one cares about the national team when a tournament is over and this is why no one cared about the national team until now. Again, all my friends and relatives riot and lose sleep when their club lose but can care less when the national team gets eliminated. This isn't coming from me this is a fact and reality.
i agree on your point that italians living in Italy care more about their club teams successes... however.. to say that nobody cared is a bit of a stretch. How long of a victory tour did you want? If i remember, the world cup trophy was paraded around out of a car around the field pre-game to the first qualifier for the euros and the crowd went crazy. There was years of "Siamo Campioni del mooooooooooooondooooooo" chants at these qualifiers as well.
No one cared about that game because it was full of serie B players, and serie A players who were serie B players playing in serie A. N8t debating your general view but strictly this game.
No it wasn't. They were all startekrs for their clubs from the Serie A. There weren't any Juventus players who had just been relegated to Serie B. Again, it was the day after frarragost and no one noticed or cared. All anyone cared about that day was playing beach volley. They also didn't care when Italy lost to France 3-1 in September.
The corruption to me is way overblown. There's corruption in every single league. You see it in Spain, UEFA in relation to clubs like Barca, doping in England. It's everywhere. Italy is the only country that tries to combat it. It's only overblown to other people because of the mafia history in Italy's past. The youth initiative will happen, and I'm confident that the next Messi-level player is Italian (coincidentally you guys have him right now lol)
even you have to admit that is a junk team... probably no better than the third or fourth best squad we could have made with our talent pool in that era i think the fact that in your opinion that nobody cared when we lost to france was wrong..but even if you were right on that.. i think it's a testament to the confidence that we have as fans that we would qualify anyways... i do remember the next qualifier against france had a big build up to it and culminated in a showdown at euro 2008 in which we beat them 2-0 where people cared again
Yeah exactly . But still no one cried or rioted when they lost to France on September. Only thing I remember was Juventus fans caring about getting their points back that they were deducted in the arbitration hearing so they could get out of Serie B sooner. If I recall correctly they cried more about drawing Rimini 1-1 as opposed to losing the qualifier. Lapo Elkan was pissed while he was entering drug rehab. Again maybe fans abroad cared more but in Italy, no one seemed to really care all that much. I still have a tape of Marcello Lippi and Tardelli talking on porta a porta how they were only talking mostly about the scandal. That was early September and Lippi got mad but they went right on talking about it. No one cared all that much about the qualifiers that I remember. Who cares to remember Italy losing to Germany a few months ago ? Does anyone still dwell on it?