Official Thread of Soccer Greed - update: RIP in Peace, European Super League

[Guest]

Only semi-on topic, but one of my great sporting memories was a few years back going to the US v Argentina Copa America Semi and watching Messi wreck the US live in the stadium. Never been to a soccer match in a stadium that hold 70k plus. Electric. Much more fun crowd than you find in the US typically!

[TwinIon]

As someone that doesn't watch the sport at all, this is both a bummer and seemingly inevitable.

 

I've always liked the relative meritocracy of European football. To force an incomplete analogy, I kinda love the idea that Alabama would join the NFL and relegate the Browns back to school. I also think that having multiple leagues going, even if it's mostly the same teams that make money in each league, is preferable to the insular monopoly that exists throughout American Pro sports. Losing the biggest players from that system would be a blow I'm sure I can't fully appreciate. The fact that a team like Leicester can win the Premier league and get to play in the Champions league is pretty nifty.

 

On the other hand, it does feel inevitable. The American model of pro sports is essentially a game you can't lose. Take a big business and tell them that if they sign a new deal they're guaranteed to remain hugely profitable even if their product sucks, and I can't see why they wouldn't take that deal. Especially in a business like sports where you're relying on a very small number of young men as your "product," and the competition has made buying the best players exceedingly expensive. I wouldn't be shocked if this brings that player market way down, further increasing the profit to be made.

 

I know the interplay between leagues throughout Europe is complex. It'll be interesting to see how this all sorts out. I'll get back to watching my favorite sport that is in no way corrupted by the influence of money, F1.

[Joe]

30 minutes ago, TwinIon said:

As someone that doesn't watch the sport at all, this is both a bummer and seemingly inevitable.

 

I've always liked the relative meritocracy of European football. To force an incomplete analogy, I kinda love the idea that Alabama would join the NFL and relegate the Browns back to school. I also think that having multiple leagues going, even if it's mostly the same teams that make money in each league, is preferable to the insular monopoly that exists throughout American Pro sports. Losing the biggest players from that system would be a blow I'm sure I can't fully appreciate. The fact that a team like Leicester can win the Premier league and get to play in the Champions league is pretty nifty.

 

On the other hand, it does feel inevitable. The American model of pro sports is essentially a game you can't lose. Take a big business and tell them that if they sign a new deal they're guaranteed to remain hugely profitable even if their product sucks, and I can't see why they wouldn't take that deal. Especially in a business like sports where you're relying on a very small number of young men as your "product," and the competition has made buying the best players exceedingly expensive. I wouldn't be shocked if this brings that player market way down, further increasing the profit to be made.

 

I know the interplay between leagues throughout Europe is complex. It'll be interesting to see how this all sorts out. I'll get back to watching my favorite sport that is in no way corrupted by the influence of money, F1.

 

I actually think parity in American sports is far better than in European soccer. I know this is very true for La Liga and Champion's League at least, but I am less familiar with the EPL.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

OLOLOLOLOLOLO

 

Chelsea to withdraw from European Super League amid fan protests | European Super League | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

---

Chelsea are to withdraw from the European Super League amid protests from their fans and disquiet from players

 

[Keyser_Soze]

Well this thread has officially run it's course.

[69los]

It's the Sun but Man City also?

 

 

[Comet]

Hell yeah City, never doubted you... 

[Joe]

Seems like Barca and Atletico are out too.

[Brian]

I thought there is a penalty for leaving?  This has been more entertaining than the season. 

[Brian]

Woodward resigns 

 

 

[Brian]

 

[Zaku3]

4 minutes ago, ManUtdRedDevils said:

Woodward resigns 

 

 

 

There is a rumor the Glazers may cash out on the club.

 

Edit: Crap he is still on until the end of the year.

[Brian]

Just now, Zaku3 said:

 

There is a rumor the Glazers may cash out on the club.

Makes sense. They already emptied the coffers. There is nothing left to take. 

[Guest]

That was quick 

[Brian]

Agnelli out at Juventus. The fallout is gonna be spectacular

[Uaarkson]

Is this like a failed sports coup?

[Air_Delivery]

15 minutes ago, Uaarkson said:

Is this like a failed sports coup?

More like a failed secession. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

All six English teams have withdrawn.

[Fizzzzle]

3 hours ago, Comet said:

Hell yeah City, never doubted you... 

I mean... They were totally going to do it

[thewhyteboar]

Me as a non-soccer-fan to this thread:

 

[Comet]

2 hours ago, Fizzzzle said:

I mean... They were totally going to do it

Yeah that was the joke. While they were hesitant to commit at first, they weren't going to be left behind

[Zaku3]

6 hours ago, Air_Delivery said:

More like a failed secession. 

 

The Super League shall rise again.

[Joe]

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

And now, let's check in with the English press to see how they're reporting these latest devlopments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Milan and Madrid have announced their withdrawal.

[5timechamp]

guess they go back to the current system where the open player market keeps forcing teams to overpay for players while teams operate at a loss.. that system too sill start to crumble teams as well.., but what can teams really do...., Juventus had won Serie A 9 times in a row meaning they had enough talent to win yearly... the problem is that it wasnt enough to win Champions League so they have to spend even more on better players.., the top of the Leagues are too predictable.

[SuperSpreader]

Football

[Comet]

I foresee the Champions League continuing to open up its qualifications and then turning it into a larger tournament. Just like the NCAA being a small little thing and now its 68 teams or something dumb like that. 

[ThreePi]

I like to think Wade has a service that sends him screenshots of British tabloid front pages every day.

[AbsolutSurgen]

My biggest problem with European Football is that most of the games are about good teams beating up on terrible ones.  Its one of the only sport I know of where the 15th best team is considered "elite".  By that definition, I should consider the Raiders "elite" -- I don't.

 

The 5 biggest leagues are in England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany.

Germany -- Bayern Munich has won 18 titles since 1994, including the last 8

France -- PSG has won 7 of the last 8 titles

Italy -- Juventus has won the last 9 titles

Spain -- The last 16 champions have been from the teams proposed to go into the ESL (Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid)

England -- By far the most competitive of the big European leagues.  Only 2 championships have ever been won by a team outside the big 6 since the Premier league was founded in 1992.  Before Leicester won the league a few years ago, the last time a non-big six team finished in the top 4 was in 2005.

 

The Champions League is somewhat better -- you get a few games in the group stage that feature good teams.  In the knockout round, it can be somewhat better.  However, the last time a team other than the 15 that were invited to become permanent members of the ESL played in the final was Porto -- in 2004.

 

What excited me about the ESL was the prospect of getting more competitive games.  I want to see great players and teams playing against each other -- not dominating their domestic leagues, and beating up on teams from small European leagues in the group stage.  But, it looks like that is not to be.

[Chris-]

9 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

My biggest problem with European Football is that most of the games are about good teams beating up on terrible ones.  Its one of the only sport I know of where the 15th best team is considered "elite".  By that definition, I should consider the Raiders "elite" -- I don't.

 

The 5 biggest leagues are in England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany.

Germany -- Bayern Munich has won 18 titles since 1994, including the last 8

France -- PSG has won 7 of the last 8 titles

Italy -- Juventus has won the last 9 titles

Spain -- The last 16 champions have been from the teams proposed to go into the ESL (Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid)

England -- By far the most competitive of the big European leagues.  Only 2 championships have ever been won by a team outside the big 6 since the Premier league was founded in 1992.  Before Leicester won the league a few years ago, the last time a non-big six team finished in the top 4 was in 2005.

 

The Champions League is somewhat better -- you get a few games in the group stage that feature good teams.  In the knockout round, it can be somewhat better.  However, the last time a team other than the 15 that were invited to become permanent members of the ESL played in the final was Porto -- in 2004.

 

What excited me about the ESL was the prospect of getting more competitive games.  I want to see great players and teams playing against each other -- not dominating their domestic leagues, and beating up on teams from small European leagues in the group stage.  But, it looks like that is not to be.

 

A Championship level side would demolish a fair amount of top flight clubs across the world, so being 15th in a top flight absolutely qualifies as elite.  There are USMNT starters bumping around the German second tier. 

[AbsolutSurgen]

Just now, Chris- said:

 

A Championship level side would demolish a fair amount of top flight clubs across the world, so being 15th in a top flight absolutely qualifies as elite.  

The Ottawa Senators would demolish a fair amount of the top flight clubs from around the world in hockey.  Are they elite?

If we were to split of MLB down to a regional level, like they do in Europe, and create regional leagues -- would we consider all of the current MLB teams elite because they beat up on the current AAA and AA teams?

Just now, Chris- said:

 

There are USMNT starters bumping around the German second tier. 

Yes, there are.

[Anathema-]

17 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

The Ottawa Senators would demolish a fair amount of the top flight clubs from around the world in hockey.  Are they elite?

 

Uh, yes? What kind of question is that? 

[Chris-]

20 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

The Ottawa Senators would demolish a fair amount of the top flight clubs from around the world in hockey.  Are they elite?

If we were to split of MLB down to a regional level, like they do in Europe, and create regional leagues -- would we consider all of the current MLB teams elite because they beat up on the current AAA and AA teams?

Yes, there are.

I mean yeah, they are. You’re just looking at it through the paradigm of North American sports. 

[Guest]

Elite is always relative to the group you’re comparing. Every NFL team is elite in comparison to all football teams in America, but not all NFL team are elite when compared to the rest of the NFL.