FIFA's Stance on Cross-Border Leagues

But doesn't he want more money in order to begin balancing the gap between Europe and the rest of the world? He made a good point after his re-election in June that much of the money in Europe is paid by sponsors, broadcasters and fans elsewhere in the world.

 

I heard Sepp wanted women to show skin, but I don't remember him saying lingerie. Regardless of how far he went, one woman said that if she wanted to dress like that, she would have played beach volleyball.

I don't want more scandals. I read news from FIFA, and they seem to suspend someone who is or was president or one of the top people in FIFA, a confederation, and/or an FA more than once a week, with a significant amount being lifetime bans.

 

So much talk lately... Club football as we know is about to end.

I wonder why would some clubs (e.g. my fav Eng club Everton, Schalke, Bordeaux...) leave their national league to go play in lower level of some international league knowing they would likely never promote to top level or be in a trophy contention, and all that just to get few bucks more.

I would not mind though to see top 10-15 clubs leave their national league. Those would become much clearer and way more balanced if pay-100m-for-a-teenager clubs are out of contention.

 

Montagliani campaigned on that.

No doubt FIFA will pull their interpretation of "exceptional circumstances" to justify this league while continuing denying UEFA.

Hard to argue against the fact that the status quo in the Caribbean makes it highly unlikely of to have true elite football being played.

Most countries are more likely able to funnel their resources into 1 or 2 elite clubs than sustaining an entire league with multiple tiers which dilute the talent. If you push all the best into that 1 or second club, you will see quality club football there.

Then you replace the CFU Championship and Shield with a 2 tier league with Pro/rel.

 

FIFA's stance has softened, e.g. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-s...-cross-border-leagues-infantino-idUKKBN1YO1E6

 

BeNe League update:

Months before the Dutch and Belgian competitions were put on hold, due to the pandemic, the second phase of the BeNe League's feasibility study had been concluded (Deloitte now focussed on the BeNe League's format/individual clubs/second tier leagues/promotion/relegation/solidarity mechanism/...). The result again looks positive. In the next (third and final?) phase the rights holders could present a stumbling block. The Dutch TV rights were sold off to FOX in an inequitable and exceptionally long contract (a 12 year deal instead of the usual 3 years) after Eredivisie clubs had gotten themselves into a dire situation/screwing up so badly they had to pay to broadcast their games instead of receiving vital TV money. They're on the hook until the 2024/25 season (and that contract needs to be renegotiated if the BeNe League is to start before 2025; but will Murdoch even listen?).

The current crisis could speed up things though. Neither Holland nor Belgium will complete the current season and the rights holders are looking to be compensated for the shortfall. Plenty of clubs in Holland's and Belgium's top two divisions were already struggling before the pandemic and the future doesn't exactly look rosy. Seeing the first two phases of the BeNe League study show that all stand to benefit, joining forces sooner rather than later can help avert a bloodbath. Adversity is a catalyst for change after all.

 

Infantino's stance has softened... not FIFA

 

They might mean the business model of CPL which borrowed elements from MLS with the creation of CSB (Canadian version of SUM) to handle all their business deals (TV, sponsors, all National teams, kits etc...) while keeping clubs independent (no franchises) within a structured league.

That model allowed CPL to secure a $200M TV media deal without a single ball being kicked. They did so by bundling all National team games (all genders and age, CPL games, Canadian Championship & League 1 Ontario)

So clubs are independent and owns all the players contracts but revenue deals are done "league wide" while allowing clubs to cut local sponsorship deals as well

 

Even if some circumstances of cross-border leagues help develop the game in places that have small populations and limited resources, when you start to allow exceptions it opens up a Pandora's box of opportunities. The real problem isn't a Caribbean Pro League or a Belgian/Dutch League, since they're essentially trying to make their clubs more competitive within the existing structure of continental championships. The concern should be the proposed super leagues that would become de facto continental championships, like an African Super League, a European Super League, or a Liga MX/MLS Super League. What happens to the Champions League structure? It essentially turns into a second-tier competition when these exclusive super leagues become more competitive than what CL can offer.

 

Screw them.

 

UEFA and their FA are against it.

It's the FAs that have last say on who can represent their national teams to a World Cup and are under UEFA jurisdiction.

FAs can just "not select" players from the Super League and that's the end of it.

 

This will only empower CONCACAF to have the same stand against any Liga MX / MLS merger talks or clubs breaking away.

Also - the 3 Canadian clubs playing in MLS are on borrowed time...tik tok

 

On the first one - probably.

On the second one - why?

I don't know the North American vibe on this but people have been saying the Wellington Phoenix would be out of the A-League for years but it hasnt' happened yet. Is there a big fan push for the 3 "visitors" to be kicked out for MLS? From Canadians? From USers? Half the issue on the ESL was that it fundamentally changed what people thought football was about and how it should be organised, but AFAIK the idea of Canadian teams in US leagues is hardly surprising - just like how the A-League isn't the only league with Aus and NZ teams playing together, there is NRL, Netball, Basketball, (normally) Rugby Union and probably others.

J

 

The CSA has already revoked/not renewed the sanction of Canadian clubs in US league. The latest was the USL Ottawa Fury who were forced out by CONCACAF.

The 3 MLS teams have an exemption from reapplying for sanction for a set amount of time. Once that period has passed, there's a belief that they won't be able to make the case that they should be granted further sanctioning in MLS just like the Ottawa Fury were not able too.

CONCACAF has sent strong signals that it rejects cross-border leagues, same from the CSA who issued a warning to Canadian clubs who are members of USL that they will get pulled when Canadian D3 leagues are launched

 

What about the Welsh clubs that play in the England setup? The European Super League fiasco/threat should not impact the current cross border exceptions, and I still think FIFA should allow and even encourage more cross border leagues.