There are a lot of regions where this would make sense due to the domestic leagues being financially/talentwise top-heavy. For example: Belgium/Netherlands/France Sweden/Norway/Denmark Poland/Ukraine/Czech Rep./Slovakia/Hungary the aforementioned Balkan League Greece/Turkey Italy/Austria/Switzerland the aforementioned ASEAN League China/Japan/S.Korea
While I do admit that the Royal League was a really poor attempt at a combined league I still have a hard time seeing this work. Looking at history and rivalries and such there are very few Swedish clubs you could cut without also losing a good amount of interest. And I am fairly sure the same goes for Denmark and Norway. Could very well be good football but it would need permanently empty stadiums and a ban on fans within several miles of the stadiums to not risk mayhem. To much political, religious and racial issues to be realistic I'm afraid. No, just no.
Stop already with ex-Yugoslavian league, will you, please?! Away fans in Bosnia still come 15 minutes after kick-off and exit 15 minutes before game ends due to security reasons. Imagine what would happen if they go to Serbia or if Serbs going to Croatia or vice versa. No one here (ex-Yugoslavia) wants it except old people who remember old days and ignorant young people who think that combined piles of crap smell better than one pile of crap.
http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/mls-liga-mx-merger Plans to combine the United States’ Major League Soccer (MLS) with Mexico’s Liga MX in order to create a North American soccer league have been discussed, according to the president of the latter.
Not a FIFA matter yet but CONCACAF has refused to approve Ottawa Fury's participation in the (USSF sanctioned) USL next season. Instead they are asked to play in the Canadian Premier League: https://ottawasun.com/sports/soccer...ghting-for-its-survival-after-concacaf-ruling @Paul Calixte - can we get rid of the ASEAN SL in the title? That one is dead and burried.
Done. And now there's a serious debate to be had in Canada and Concacaf: if the CPL existing means there's no more justification for sanctioning Ottawa playing in a US league, where does that leave the Canadian MLS teams? Unless the CSA cheekily recognizes MLS or the Canadian Championship as its D1 (which, can it even do that?) and the CPL as its Division 2.
Why does a confederation get to sanction or not sanction what league a club plays in? Is there a formal document with the division of powers between FIFA, confederations, country's FAs, domestic leagues, players, the ECA, and other groups involved? MLS clubs don't have to worry about relegation, but it would be similar to relegation if the Canadian MLS clubs were forced into the CPL. Furthermore, MLS is single-entity, and Wikipedia says "teams and player contracts are centrally owned by the league." That means that Concacaf or the CSA forcing Canadian clubs out of MLS would be breaking player contracts with MLS, which is an American organization.
This document is a start, doesn't hold all the answers but still. -> https://resources.fifa.com/image/up...ches-2325685.pdf?cloudid=pywuivvlfl5aqvhsw2i7
According to CONCACAF statement, they have yet to receive the official application, yet Ottawa keep going public about going to USL with no CONCACAF sanction. I think that it's likely that CONCACAF let them go one more time, however, they showed them how serious they are at enforcing the rule. 2019 is likely it for them. CSA sanctions the 3 teams to play in MLS but does not recognize MLS as Canada D1. It officially recognized CPL as D1.
That's a separate issue but the 3 MLS teams are safe... for now The CSA sanction is the only thing allowing the 3 teams to play in MLS. Actually, for that to keep going ALL parties must agree to it (MLS, teams, CSA, USSF, CONCACAF). At the minute a party disagree, it's over (see Ottawa Fury). Sanctioning is renewable on a yearly basis. That being said, you have to expect an exceptional "out clause" for the 3 MLS teams. The CSA would never sign away it's control for perpetuity, nor would CONCACAF. When they joined, there had to be something in the contracts that indicates what happens if the sanctioning was to end. That's normal business practice as all party would want to protect their interests. Most likely, the 3 teams would have to sell their MLS shares back to the league and vice versa or they could sell their franchise to a US Ownership wanting to jump in MLS... whichever. IP belongs to the league but not impossible that the teams could get it back as part of the back an forth transactions. Players contracts are held by the league, so the teams would have to build their rosters from scratch. Let's not forget that TFC only paid $10M and both Vancouver & Montreal paid $35M to join MLS. They could just turn around and sell for at least $200M+ and pay a fee to join CPL. I don't know everything, that's just my assumption based on business experience but one thing's or sure, the 3 teams aren't stuck in MLS, there are mechanisms for their exits
All 3 MLS teams have waivers to play in MLS, I doubt CSA would pull them, maybe use them to get B teams to play in the Canada system. USL teams may be forced (eventually) to move.
https://www.concacaf.com/en/article/concacaf-statement-ottawa-fury-fc says: "Although Concacaf, the CSA and USSF have given their respective authorizations, before the club may participate in the USL for the 2019 season, the Ottawa Fury FC still is required to obtain authorization from FIFA under the clear mandate of FIFA Article 73." Concacaf complained that Ottawa went to CAS unnecessarily because their desire to remain in the USL had not been decided on yet.
not all fans are ultras. why should their vote count more than those of spectators that behave peacefully? some of those ultras have costed croatia and serbia much money and other sanctions like points withdrawn. i think the representives of the clubs would enjoy a balkan league. to soften things a bit, teams from greece, hungary, romania or greece might be included. but i think the big leagues are opposing and maybe intriguing against a balkan, scandinavian or benelux league, as that is a bigger rivalry to them and young prospects may found it more interesting to stay in those leagues, than warming a bench in a championchip club.
Breaking boundaries: Irish clubs discuss all-island domestic league: http://www.insideworldfootball.com/...s-irish-clubs-discuss-island-domestic-league/ There is also talk again about a BeNe league...
Not really a FIFA matter but Ottawa Fury (CAN) have been frozen out of the USL (USA) - or so they claim: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/fury-suspends-operation-failed-sanctions-1.5352935
CONCACAF effectively shut the doors on them. They were told last year that Article 73 of FIFA statute no longer applied to them. They tried to play dumb and reapply but they botch the application forms, anyways CONCACAF considers the matter closed
Infantino was in Africa promoting the idea of an African Super League: http://www.insideworldfootball.com/...africa-1bn-new-200m-pan-african-super-league/ m'kay...? Where did this come from?
Well, if Sepp Blatter's history is anything to go by, then a major FIFA figure is about to be arrested for corruption. Sepp's mad ideas (no more draws, women should all play in lingerie etc) all got announced just before a scandal hit. J
He's lost. Totally. It seems like he, backed by don't know who, wants to change everything (that worked well). A mad man would propose something like this.