The European Super League Megathread

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

Casciavit wrote:I could see some alterations go on behind the scenes with the ESL teams potentially striking a deal with UEFA and then come out with 'improvements' to the original concept.

That being said I expected these founding teams to show a lot more gut to stick with it. They fumbled over the backlash. From a media perspective, all it took yesterday was having the most reputable manager in the game to speak out, EPL captains to have a meeting, and a protest by Chelsea fans for clubs to start pulling out.

Perez's whole coup-style approach to this flopped miserably. I imagine he didn't think it would go through as it was and they would've had to find a concession with UEFA, but instead, the founding teams decided to pull out with their chairmen's quitting as a result. This backfired so bad.

Yup. Once Chelsea and City were out, the rest fell. If you attempt a coup you need everyone motivated and tightly united.

And Chelsea and City fell because the owners see their clubs as vanity projects to expand their influence, not as a money making machine like the Americans. They happily spent their way to the top with no concerns for profits. In a way, they're the kind of upstarts that the Super League is designed to stop, just that they were early in to it.

It also helps they're rich enough that another billion makes no difference to them (and PSG). It seems that even amongst billionaires there's some that have "fuck you" money and some that don't.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

Casciavit wrote:I could see some alterations go on behind the scenes with the ESL teams potentially striking a deal with UEFA and then come out with 'improvements' to the original concept.

That being said I expected these founding teams to show a lot more gut to stick with it. They fumbled over the backlash. From a media perspective, all it took yesterday was having the most reputable manager in the game to speak out, EPL captains to have a meeting, and a protest by Chelsea fans for clubs to start pulling out.

Perez's whole coup-style approach to this flopped miserably. I imagine he didn't think it would go through as it was and they would've had to find a concession with UEFA, but instead, the founding teams decided to pull out with their chairmen's quitting as a result. This backfired so bad.

Yup. Once Chelsea and City were out, the rest fell. If you attempt a coup you need everyone motivated and tightly united.

And Chelsea and City fell because the owners see their clubs as vanity projects to expand their influence, not as a money making machine like the Americans. They happily spent their way to the top with no concerns for profits. In a way, they're the kind of upstarts that the Super League is designed to stop, just that they were early in to it.

It also helps they're rich enough that another billion makes no difference to them (and PSG). It seems that even amongst billionaires there's some that have "fuck you" money and some that don't.

We accepted the invitation to participate in the Super League project with the genuine intention to deliver the best possible European competition for football fans around the world and in the best interest of the club and our own fans. Change is not always easy, but evolution is necessary for progress, and the structures of European football have evolved and changed over the decades.

However, the voices and the concerns of fans around the world have clearly been expressed about the Super League, and AC Milan must be sensitive to the voice of those who love this wonderful sport.

We will continue to work hard to deliver a sustainable model for football.

JespSwe wrote:https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/club/2021-04-21/official-statement

We accepted the invitation to participate in the Super League project with the genuine intention to deliver the best possible European competition for football fans around the world and in the best interest of the club and our own fans. Change is not always easy, but evolution is necessary for progress, and the structures of European football have evolved and changed over the decades.

However, the voices and the concerns of fans around the world have clearly been expressed about the Super League, and AC Milan must be sensitive to the voice of those who love this wonderful sport.

We will continue to work hard to deliver a sustainable model for football.

not a single word of apology to fans locally, domestically to serie a lega football commission, and to ECA associated club members for the permanent damage this has caused from relations and trust point of view ...  

fact that this came this late hours and the very last of clubs to put this out

well done ...

John W Henry's message to Liverpool supporters. pic.twitter.com/pHW3RbOcKu

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 21, 2021

Nishankly wrote:

JespSwe wrote:https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/club/2021-04-21/official-statement

We accepted the invitation to participate in the Super League project with the genuine intention to deliver the best possible European competition for football fans around the world and in the best interest of the club and our own fans. Change is not always easy, but evolution is necessary for progress, and the structures of European football have evolved and changed over the decades.

However, the voices and the concerns of fans around the world have clearly been expressed about the Super League, and AC Milan must be sensitive to the voice of those who love this wonderful sport.

We will continue to work hard to deliver a sustainable model for football.

not a single word of apology to fans locally, domestically to serie a lega football commission, and to ECA associated club members for the permanent damage this has caused from relations and trust point of view ...  

fact that this came this late hours and the very last of clubs to put this out

well done ...

Because English team fans along with Borissian Johnsmund brought this down, football is dead without the GOAT league.

Jay29 wrote:Another cock up on their part was the failure to communicate to players and coaches this was happening.

How were they were going to sell this thing if the players, the backbone of the entire project, are pissed off and don't want to take part?

Nishankly wrote:

John W Henry's message to Liverpool supporters. pic.twitter.com/pHW3RbOcKu

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 21, 2021

GET OUT FFS

M99 wrote:I want to thank all of my fellow drama queens out there. The backlash from fans worldwide is what caused this to crash.

Chelsea fans protesting was mostly made up of the demographic that Perez claimed doesn't watch football. Love to see it.

But this was delaying the inevitable. I am sure this will happen in this decade. After 2022 World Cup I think we will see this happen. My best hope is it becomes a summer tournament in the year where there is no World Cup or Euro/Copa America. With Euro/Copa America happening in the same year and Confederations Cup being cancelled, there are two free years for them to do this.

Also the UEFA CL reforms is absolutely gonna be protested against too. Lets see what happens.

rincon wrote:Leeds 1-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 0-0 Brighton
Milan 1-2 Sassuolo
Spurs 0-1 Soton

The Super League effect

Last night was a long night. We were together in the meeting until around 1:00 A.M.

Interviewer: President of Real Madrid and the Super League? No, the President of Real Madrid is fine.

I am quite sad and disappointed. We have been working on this Super League project for 3 years, to fight against the economic problems we were going through.

The format of the Champions League is obsolete, and people only become interested at the quarter-final.

Among the 12 teams, we lost a total of €650M last season. This season, that number will double or triple. The current format clearly does not work.

Among the 12 teams, we have about 2 billion fans around the world, half the total of football fans in the world.

I have never seen such aggression from the Presidents of UEFA and La Liga. It seemed planned.

All the threats, insults.. It was as if we had killed football! Football must be saved.

One of the 6 Premier League clubs did not have much of an interest in the Super League, and that began to wear off on the others. They were never convinced of the project.

It is very easy to understand, the League is untouchable. The time that you need to get money is during the week. This format clearly does not work.

If this project didn't work, another one will. Remember: All the 12 clubs signed a legally binding contract.

The Super League project was viable without the German and French teams, for sure.

We didn't promise anything to Bayern and PSG. That rumor is false.

I think that we did not present the project well, but we were not given an opportunity to explain it well. They have not given us the opportunity because they did not want to.

It can't be La Liga where the teams at the top lose money and the other teams win money.

The Super League project is on stand-by, this I can confirm.

Juventus and A.C. Milan have not left the Super League.

The English teams left because of the hostile atmosphere. UEFA have put on a display that has surprised me. We asked to speak to the UEFA President, and it was as if we had dropped an atomic bomb.

Young people no longer watch football. 40% of 16-24 year olds do NOT watch football.

4 teams from each country can enter the Super League.

I'm not alone. I've talked to Juventus 3 times today, I am not alone.

I, who am not a fool, have NOT understood the new UCL format.

There have to be TOP level matches from the first match.

I think that the Super League is a project that we do not need to be insulted for. We have had to undergo precautionary measures to protect ourselves, and the Judge has said that it is all legal.

You can't get out of the Super League just like that. The contracts that all 12 clubs signed were legally binding.

There are games that nobody watches, it is hard for me to watch them. From Spain, England and Italy.

The only way to have income is to have a competition that generates a lot of income, but prevents the rich from getting richer.

Real Madrid is rich in trophies. I do not earn a penny. The president of La Liga and UEFA have salaries.

We do not fear acts of retaliation from UEFA.

It's impossible to make signings like Mbappé and Haaland in general - not only for Real Madrid without the Super League.

We would not change anything in regards to the way we announced the Super League. We had prepared for each person to speak. It didn't happen, because with extreme hostility, they killed us.

I didn't say that we would not sign Mbappé, thats for next season.

Many people have congratulated me and have told me to move on.

I don't want to talk about the issue with Tebas, let him talk to the Judge.

Tebas thinks that I am lost? I don't comment on those things. I think that Mr. Tebas is one of those who have to reconsider how the football industry is doing.

This is not going to make relations with PSG difficult. I am everyone's friend, they know what I have done for football. I have the credibility of the people.

I tell the world of football that life changes. When 2 decades pass, new generations appear and demand new things.

We have to produce competitive matches. It is a way for young people to watch the games on their mobile phones. The better the matches, the more TV companies will pay.

There are people who believe that nothing has changed. There are still people who do not believe that COVID is real. They believe that nothing has changed when in reality life has changed. Real Madrid players have lowered their salary.

La Liga without Barça and Atlético? The TV rights would change a lot.

In all companies wages have been lowered. We have all made a sacrifice and football needs a sacrifice. If we think that nothing has happened, then we will be in for a day of disappointment.

How could I not want Sergio Ramos to continue? It doesn't only depend on him, it also depends on the situation at Real Madrid. Let's see what happens next year.

We have said that we will leave for the Super League as soon as possible because it is urgent. In August this year or next year.

Do you think that our socios are stupid? If you tell them that every Tuesday and Wednesday they are going to play against the greatest teams that they will not prefer that?

Nobody has officially left the Super League yet. Nobody has paid the penalty to do so. I will not say the amount that the penalty is.

I want an educated President for UEFA, someone who does not insult others and who does not speak as Čeferin did the other day. You have to set an example. We are in a democratic Europe.

Chelsea fans? They were 40 people outside Stamford Bridge... and if you want, I will tell you who took them there.

Some want a team from Turkey to be included, but the money comes from what is interesting, not from games that are of no interest to anyone. (Thanks to u/MerciDidier)

Renew the squad? But we have the best players in the world.

I can't imagine Real Madrid next year without Zidane.

The people who took Chelsea fans out to demonstrate are the same people who put anti-Super League messages on Cádiz shirts tonight.

People said that I was going to fire Zidane after the loss to Shakhtar in Ukraine. That was a lie.

I don't think fans will be returning to the stadiums for the remainder of the season. If they were allowed, we would re-open the Bernabéu.

I don't know why Klopp doesn't like the Valdebebas. In Kiev we beat them 3-1, and in the Valdebebas we beat them 3-1. The same result.

Nobody is going to shoot themselves if Mbappé doesn't come this year. If something doesn't happen, it is because it can not be done. I think the socios are happy with my work.

Raphaël Varane? I'm happy with our team. If a player doesn't want to stay at Real Madrid then they can leave.

We have already reached an agreement with Luka Modrić, his contract will be renewed. We reached an agreement a long time ago.

I don't know why Sergio Ramos hasn't renewed his contract. We have spoken many times. I love Sergio like a son, but the situation is what it is.

We are close to finishing the season. Maybe we might have to sell Benzema.

We have to produce competitive matches. It is a way for young people to watch the games on their mobile phones. The better the matches, the more TV companies will pay.

Barça president Joan Laporta to TV3: “The #SuperLeague project is still there. We're open to having a dialogue with UEFA. There has to be an attractive competition based on sporting merits too. I think there will be an agreement...”. #FCB

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 22, 2021