Top clubs in talks to join new FIFA-backed 'European Premier League'

[Gabbar Singh]

Talks have taken place over the creation of a new £4.6bn European Premier League, involving the top sides from across the continent.

Sources told the BBC that discussions are still at an early stage but the plan would involve replacing the Champions League with a new format.

Industry insiders confirmed talks involved Wall Street bank JP Morgan.

But the project is said to still have a "long way to go" and the deal "may not happen".

Reports suggest five Premier League clubs, including champions Liverpool and Manchester United, have been approached by those behind the plan with more than a dozen teams from England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain in negotiations about becoming founder members of the competition.

It has also been reported that the European Premier League would see 18 sides compete in a single league with the top sides taking part in a play-off to determine an overall winner and that world governing body Fifa is involved.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54621189

 

[Gabbar Singh]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">UEFA warns of the damage that would be caused to soccer by the potential creation of a 'boring' European super league of the continent’s elite clubs that would potentially usurp its existing Champions League.<br><br>by <a href="https://twitter.com/RobHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@robharris</a> <br> <a href="https://t.co/7bqmkRaSpV">https://t.co/7bqmkRaSpV</a></p>— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/status/1318671357006274563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Looks like Europeans are learning from Big 3 of ICC.

 

[RickyG]

I won't comment on the morality of this. People are generally averse to new things however there are both good and bad elements to this.

1. It's obviously a money-grab. Big clubs are the big draws. Clubs like Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, and Chelsea are what bring money & viewership to a league like premier league. They don't always get their fair share in return however.

2. The standard of football in knockout champions league matches is very very high. Probably the highest standard of football in general. It is also considerably more competitive than any league. So you can't ignore how competitive and exciting a super league will be.

3. It's an opportunity to level the playing field for mega well-supported big clubs in smaller markets. Think of big clubs like Celtic or Porto who are household European names but just don't make enough money to truly compete with the elite European clubs. This is because they play in smaller markets with smaller viewership and can neither compete financially nor do their leagues have the requisite prestige to entice world-class players.

4. Big clubs are tired of having their leagues dictate terms to them. A lot of big clubs don't want to play Carabao cup or have replays for FA cups etc. They want winter breaks and leagues to help big clubs arrange their domestic matches in a way that it enhances their chance of winning European cups not diminishes them. A great example is how the EFL tried to go head to head with Club World Cup and was left red-faced when Liverpool rightly so sent their kids to play in the Carabao Cup. It was a total show of disrespect by EFL and it back-fired greatly when Liverpool chose to show the competition absolutely no worth.

5. This applies largely for the premier league but might apply to other leagues as well. The premier league is the gold standard of domestic league football yet it continues to be run by amateurs. The bureaucracy and incompetence is driving a lot of clubs away. Clubs have been rendered powerless while authorities and referees rule the roost. They've somehow even bundled the implementation of VAR which has left the world's best defender with a career threatening injury. There are no punishments or consequences forthcoming for the aggressor either. Officials are clueless about offsides which leads to them overturning legitimate goals. A super league will require greater level of administration. So I can see why big clubs want to avail this opportunity of having more say to protect themselves and their players.

Again it's neither right or wrong but you can see the logic behind it.

 

[Giannis]

This is a terrible idea, the best part about the UEFA champions league is that any club from any country in Europe can qualify and compete and possibly win it. This european league would just destroy the diversity and competitiveness and more importantly the growth of the game. Imagine the ramifications on smaller leagues and their economies.

 

[Firebat]

Terrible idea in my opinion.

Loses all the magic of leagues (especially EPL), where the unpredictability of lesser teams with less resources going to a big team's ground and competing. The EPL is the most competitive it has ever been, with Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Wolves, Everton, Leicester and Leeds all at a very high level and jostling for essentially the same positions in the table. A European Super League would take all the focus off that for the bigger teams, and the quality and unpredictability of the leagues week in week out will reduce massively.

Also, isn't the magic and excitement of a big UCL tie between European powerhouses the fact that it's not frequent? Would the Ashes have the same magic if it was played twice a year? Or the same for a Pakistan vs India WC match? Watching Liverpool come back vs Barcelona at Anfield was amazing because it's rare, they don't play each other every week.

 

[FearlessRoar]

FIFA calls for discussion in busy calendar dispute​

FIFA said on Thursday it had invited FIFPRO Europe and the European Leagues body for talks following a dispute over the sport's calendar.

On July 23, the global players' union FIFPRO and European Leagues, which brings together more than one thousand clubs from 33 countries, filed a complaint to the European Commission accusing FIFA of abusing its position.

They say FIFA's conduct with regards to the international match calendar has "harmed the economic interests of national leagues and the welfare of players" and argue FIFA's role as a regulator and competition organiser is a conflict of interest.

"FIFA has today reiterated an invitation to meet and discuss the calendar with World Leagues Association and FIFPRO, having received no response to a letter on 10 May 2024," a FIFA spokesperson said.

"FIFA believes there is a more productive way forward for football than the threat of legal action and the offer to engage in dialogue remains on the table.

"FIFA serves and balances the overall interests of world football, including the protection of players, and always strives to do what is best for the game around the world," it added.

FIFA has been accused of a failure to consult over recent changes to the calendar, such as the introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup.

The first edition of the expanded Club World Cup is set to take place in the United States in June and July next year and 12 European clubs are due to feature.

Many of the continent's leading players will therefore be obliged to participate at a time when they would otherwise have been afforded a long close-season break, a year ahead of the expanded 48-team World Cup in North America.

FIFA calls for discussion in busy calendar dispute

FIFA has been accused of a failure to consult over recent changes to the calendar

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