from Skysports.com: indicating that a few clubs in absolute financial stress are driving this .... Juventus & Real Madrid ... so was this "tipping point" driven by a few clubs with great $ needs - that they were going to lose some of their best players ... and that drove them to this desperate act. And now Spurs just fired Mourinho ... "may you live in interesting times". " Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol: "I have to say I have not seen a proposal like this in football which has been met by universal condemnation. I think you would find it hard to find anyone who says this is a good idea. "It will be interesting to see if these owners are ready to do TV interviews now. It's also interesting to see what the players and managers say. "We've heard in the past that managers like Jurgen Klopp have said they are against a potential Super League. What is he going to say? What is someone like Jordan Henderson or Marcus Rashford going to say? "Do they really want to play in a closed league? Do they not want to play in the World Cup and for England? "This is all to do with money. There are 56 countries in Europe and only three are taking part in this, England, Italy and Spain. The Spanish clubs taking part have big financial problems. Inter Milan, their Chinese owners have just shut down their Chinese club. AC Milan and Juventus have financial problems. These clubs need the money. "I am not sure the English clubs need it as much. What I have heard is Manchester City and Chelsea, specifically, were not too keen to get involved in this but they felt like they have no option. The owners of City don't need extra finance, Roman Abramovich does not. If they see their rivals going another way they have to be part of it. "Look at Sunday night's statement, whose name was on it? Real Madrid, the driving force behind it. Juventus' Andrea Agnelli and United's Joel Glazer - the driving forces behind this. "In the past clubs have argued about taking bigger slices of the pie. These clubs are now saying we want a new pie and it's going to be our pie and we'll eat it all." "
One more thing - it appears these clubs are readying for legal action if fifa/uefa (side note...that autocorrected to unfair) ban these players from international competition. I have little doubt courts will rule for FIFA. It even if they lose, and there is no statutory ban, I can see the individual country FA’s, who all universally oppose this league, either formally or informally ban the selection of players in this league. This league will be popular for a while with today’s stars. But these clubs will find it next to impossible to find and sign tomorrow’s stars. And they’ll have to pay a massive premium to do so...as the players will know going in that it will mean the end of their international careers. While money talks....the remaining clubs will still have the financial ability to pay generational wealth to players. It won’t be anywhere as easy as it is now to convince players to sign with these super clubs. again...if it happens....it’ll die inside a decade and these club will come back, tail between their legs, devoid of any power they’ve built over the last few decades. Which will ultimately be a good thing for European club soccer.
You state this with great confidence. I'm not sure the contracts say what you seem to think they say.
The confidence people have that the clubs are in the drivers seat here are equally misplaced. Keep in mind....all of these contracts are already regulated by FIFA. There is a whole section of FIFA regulations governing what the contracting parties can and cannot do. They were signed by both parties subject to those rules. For one party to unilaterally alter that agreement....would be a breach argument that even I, a non-attorney who just happens to negotiate commercial contracts for a living, could competently make in court. I find the idea that these contracts don’t include a dispute resolution clause that would bind them to negotiate through either CAS or FIFA to be a laughable suggestion.
Yes. It will be the end of FIFA if it tries to prevent players from participating in international competitions. As to this "breakaway" league, let's wait and see. Frankly, I think it is inevitable to have the best of the best playing in their own league, especially in Europe which is a relatively small area with a high concentration of great teams. The one aspect that is not good (IMHO) is the absence of relegation for ALL participating teams. One aspect of this whole present issue that has not been emphasized is the fact that last night's announcement occurs in the context of a forthcoming UEFA declaration of major changes to the Champions League format. In particular, the expansion of the tournament to 36 teams is hugely disliked. All it does is add lots more games involving weak, uninteresting teams. N obody will watch them other than fans of the two teams involved. In a discussion about the forthcoming changes, I heard one point of view expressed on SiriusXM FC that the superleague announcement was simply a preemptive negotiating ploy. Let's wait and see. Regardless, the proverbial sh!t has hit the equally proverbially fan.
Let's hope that Pulisic, McKennie, and Dest have the integrity to say that they will not play another match for their clubs until they unilaterally revoke all plans for a Super League. (What I'm really saying is that if any significant number of players on these clubs immediately and forcefully come out against the proposal, then it's dead.)
I think you’re wrong here. These clubs have massively over estimated their power in this situation. What they’re doing is an existential threat to FIFA, UEFA, and the FA’s of every country on the planet. FIFA will ban these players. These players will be free to join this league. Just as they are all collectively free to stop playing in their FIFA sanctioned league at any time and decide to play in the NFL, NBA, the PGA or the professional ping pong tour. if they go through with this....these clubs will get crushed.
Every player currently under contract with these clubs will immediately become a free agent and will be free to sign with whatever FIFA sanctioned club they choose. One of the very basic tenants of any commercial contract, regardless of industry, good or service, is the determination of governing law the parties mutually agree that the contract will be subject to. Once that is determined and agreed to by the parties...other jurisdictions have little say in disputes between the parties. It is inconceivable to me that player contracts are written so they’re not subject to FIFA rules and regulations. It is also inconceivable that any court, anywhere, would rule in favor of a club to unilaterally decide to no longer participate in the very organization who’s rules they agreed to be subject to.
I can't see players risking WC eligibility, and I hope their agents were savvy enough not to let them sign contracts that require them to play in this sort of thing (e.g., "any new competitions that might arise ..."). As for the "this is an American conspiracy" theory, it's a shame those nasty Americans were able to drag the other otherwise selfless humanitarians like Roman Abramovich kicking and screaming.
In case the Tweet doesn't pull through, Ceferin is launching an immediate salvo by saying that any players that play in the Super League will be banned from the World Cup and Euro, as well as playing for their national teams in general. UEFA’s Alexander Ceferin confirms: “The players that will play in the Super League will be banned from playing in the World Cup and Euros. Ceferin. They will not be allowed play for their national teams”. 🚫🇪🇺 #SuperLeague— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 19, 2021
I saw that. One of these clubs president’s...I believe it was Madrid’s, responded that if FIFA did that...the clubs would start their own world cup to compete with FIFA’s. Think of the lunacy of that statement. I’m sure Mo Salah would love a competition in which he takes in the English super club best 11 by himself. Pulisic, McKennie, Miazga, Dest and Zach might do a little better. this is either a incredibly stupid move by ignorant men who have more money than sense, or it an elaborate bluff that will be easily called. And for these clubs sakes, I hope they’re bluffing...because they’re gonna get crushed if they aren’t.
🗣 UEFA president Ceferin: "Andrea Agnelli is the biggest disappointment of all, I’ve never seen a person that would lie so many times, so persistently as he did. It’s unbelievable."We didn't know we had snakes so close to us, now we know." pic.twitter.com/wpnoZiGUR9— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) April 19, 2021 This is not going to go well for the clubs involved
Why is this such a bad idea? I don't get why Gary Neville is going so crazy, and the players (Ozil) are as well? What's it matter? I thought after seeing Neville freaking out that that these teams were leaving the EPL or something. I can understand UEFA and FIFA getting their panties in a bunch, as they are losing loads of money. But isn't this just capitalism? It's the fault of all these organizations for not fixing these leagues previously, resulting in 2-5 teams dominating every single year, outside of the Leicester season everyone brings up as some example oh why nothing needs changing. And does anyone really think FIFA would go through with that threat? They are setting up for the negotiation. If you just lost billions of dollars with the downfall of the Champions League, are you really going to double down on it by keeping out the world's best players? Not a chance. This just reminds me of people not wanting to pay college athletes, just opposed to change of any sort. Deal with it.
That is basically what happened in baseball. Top baseball players signed to MLB teams did not participate in World Cup of baseball held by IBAF (baseball equivalent of FIFA). Then MLB started World Baseball Classic, a new international baseball tournament, where MLB players are able to compete in. And now World Cup has become a qualifying tournament for WBC. There is a talk of NHL trying something similar. Like it or not, this is where sports is heading.
FIFA has said previously this would apply to any players who participated in a break away league. The arrogance and greed of these 12 “big” club’s owners is truly remarkable.
Absolutely. In a second. This move by the clubs have so overplayed their hand that they’ve blown up what negotiating leverage they actually have. FIFA - go ahead. You won’t last three years. And we’re going to sign all of your players with zero compensation to you.
These clubs are run by capitalists, based on greed (ie. making as much money as possible). Why is this surprising, and more importantly, why would you or anyone outside of FIFA be against it? This isn't rhetorical, I really don't understand the anger, other than from FIFA which stands to lose money.
its very dangerous. Europe is not based on capitalism. Hard to see from the extreme USA where everything and all is about proifteering.... this will calcify inequality. this will make a bad problem worse. It will remove the chance for teams and players to work to the top level through hard work and success. The same teams should not just be gauranteed of their place every season without working for it. unfortunately the system is already broken as a result of moneyed interests that only use football for their wealth enhancement. i honstly dont understand how you cannot see that this is not good. what would happen to all domestic competitions? all the euro leagues would suffer without their top teams.... it would be great for MLS....if this happens, it will accelerate MLS becoming a top league in the world ASAP
Update: it’s a bad idea. Feel free to listen carefully to Neville for why that is the case. He did an outstanding job of explaining of why this is problematic, despite UEFA’s own deep flaws. It would destroy the concept of sporting merit that has been at the core of European football’s success.
I don't understand...how have the clubs overplayed their hands? And who would sign the players away from these clubs? FIFA? or the clubs that remain with FIFA? How would they afford them?