How the European Super League can be good for football

Don't disagree, just try implementing, when you dealing with so many cultures. Unlike the American & Australian main sport, which are closed shops, clubs will always overspend to get to next level.

re soccer.....at the top end.....a few of those players might need to learn to get by on a couple of million a year instead of 50mill!!! We know the only real reason any EPL side isn't profitable is player salaries. It is interesting though - - in the midst of the Covid crisis.......to put forward something like this proposition. We saw in Jan KPMG estimate (as sample of ) twenty of Europe’s biggest clubs lost more than €1bn in revenue over the past year while almost 10% has been knocked off players’ average values. I do wonder about whether the positioning is based a smidge on sports-covid forecasting.

Yes it is, but if you look at Packer cricket, it killed State cricket (Sheffield shield as it used to called). Only a very small elite earn good money playing cricket these days in Australia, grassroots not that strong, the big bash has brought in much needed money, but that too starting to fade. No doubt something will come of this, but you have to sell it to the masses first. Packer could carry the lossesin Cricket revenue at first, not sure anyone can afford the losses of revenue from football for a few years.

Ferno thats basically what it came down to. 12 big clubs thinking they could change the way things are and have all of the revenue funnelling towards them. The most ridiculous statement was "then these clubs can share the revenue across their grassroots". I mean really. Is this like trickle down economics that has worked so well. Not. These 12 clubs cannot take on FIFA, UEFA and their own home grown fans and expect to get away with it. And they didnt.

All good. Like anything - it's interesting to observe. We've seen a variety of sports....tennis...golf....and in this country the Packer Cricket revolution. There's often a some point where there either is or at least a threat of a "break away". We even had that in Australian Football back in the VFL days.....pushing for a national super league type scenario. While that particular one didn't happen - - it's interesting revisiting the possibilities at the time and relating that to what DID actually pan out. That's the main reason I asked.......as I'm pretty sure something will come of all this.

Football, differently from basketball, is too big to be controlled by only a dozen of clubs. They can brake away from the current system and then what? A tournament with 12 clubs (like a-league)? Who else would break away to joint then as guest - second level citizens in the league- that could be kicked out regardless of their success. Cause, obviously, if superleague can choose who takes part in their league or not, so national leagues shall also be allowed to choose not having the "infidels" among them. that is a loose-loose situation

MM, my apologies for my misunderstanding. I'm thinking both you & Rellum are on a similar path. My reading of his comment is 'Sport Industry eating itself' as time goes, those sports he mentioned may be the big ticketed events world wide, yes there will be smaller scale scopes for other sports like the AFL & Rugby. Look at this news of the Super league made big news all around the world, even in a AFL/NRL mad country like Australia. Now you saying 'Football industry eating itself', as time goes on the pointy end of Europe will be the big ticketed football events world wide & yet smaller scale scopes for other leagues in Brazil, Portugal & Australia etc. Not disagreeing with either comments. The big rabbit in the hole is India with the IPL & China (they have tried to buy the richest (at least) players, but that fell flat on their face due to corruption). However, what the Super league didn't count for is the hard core football fans, sure they are not the big revenue makers anymore, but they are the lifeblood of the clubs, big or small. I have no idea how this will pan out, I would say that UEFA will meet these players half way & redesign a bigger champions league, will that be enough, I don't know, but to have a closed competition like the NFL, AFL & even A-league doesn't work in Football, it needs to include grassroots, as we have found out in this country with the A-League.

#Punter I'm actually trying to work out what Rellum's scope is. The assertion " industries eat themselves alive till there is only one left"......is only so true. That's the law of the jungle survival of the fittest......but a superficial take on it - - in that the natural world/the law of the jungle rarely sees one species decimate another (unless it's by the hand of humankind). So the human approach to sports? I figured Rellum was focussed on the Australian context to a fair degree via this statement: "In time the only sports they will be high profile will be the NFL, Euro Top League(what ever that is) and the NBA. Maybe Cricket will stick around with the IPL and the NRL and AFL might maintain some presence but down the road the massive media pull of these few mega comps will destroy all the others, through fans and player talent." And so we came to my discussion from the Australian context of an industry eating itself. The "soccer" industry in Australia seems to feast on itself. The A-League is the latest incarnation.....it feels like the local instance as with many nations is backwater stuff....the pointy end of the pyramid (of the world game) attracts all the money to a small number of leagues and in some respects a smallish number of mega clubs predominantly with-in those leagues. Which is where this notion of the "SuperLeague" feels like a natural evolution of an unregulated "industry eating itself". Btw - I fully understand the distinction between the AFL, THE AFL and Australian Football. What I do wonder......this latest "SuperLeague" proposal.....getting shot down now.....but is it just the opening gambit. What's the end game and when and what will the next move be? I'd be interested in what you feel is likely to happen? Is there a "revolution" to come??

MM you have totally confused yourself here. Are you arguing the dilemma for Football or the A-League here. If it’s the A-League, yes it struggles not only against the other 3 pro football codes & the Cricket big bash, but also against the all the other competitions around the world. But if you discussing the dilemma of football that is totally different to the A-League, it doesn’t struggle, there is a huge following in this country. I can understand how you can get confuse, AFL & AFL competition is just about the same. However, Football & A-League are 2 different beast, yes your argument is strong against A-League, but not on Football.

Speak for yourself

You can tell this was written by someone who doesn't understand this sport one bit, it goes everything against what football represents. Maybe this works in the AFL, NRL or Super Rugby but not for the most popular sport in the world.

#Rellum I'd argue however - - this is the dilemma for soccer. The problem has ALWAYS been that the A-League is not just fighting the other 3 pro football codes in this country; and not just that over summer they suddenly found themselves up against and losing the broadcasting battle with the BBL cricket offering......no....the real issue for soccer in Australia is that the international market is saturated. In basketball.....it's really just the NBA......there's other Euro leagues etc but in reality it's the NBA or bust. The NBL can muddle along and has found a niche for young players seeking a pro-contract prior to NBA eligibility. Soccer though......there's the EPL, there's the Bundeliga, Serie-A, Spanish, French......and then the UEFA Nations and Champions leagues.......and that's just Europe. I can see your concern specifically for the world of soccer.....but there's more to the world than that. And the internet??......the internet actually allows people to follow their team(s) better. Streaming Kayo.....as an example.....allows AFL followers to specifically follow their team irrespective of what Ch.7 has on. Very few people have so much spare time to fill with watching heaps and heaps of other sports...........there's more to life.

Of course it won't because the rich owners want to get richer, but at least today, fan power reign supreme & long may that last.

It's a pity Australian fans can't have the same experience.

Mate, this idea has been percolating for decades now. Do you honestly believe this is the last we'll ever hear about it?

No need to worry as it looks like the SL is already unravelling. Crashed and burned more like it.

No disrespect to you but looks like you have an AFL background so you don't really understand the true meaning of competition. A closed competition where the same old Melbourne suburbs go against each other. Year in and year out. Perpetually going nowhere. True competition is when you have leagues that are designed for promotion and relegation. Where the little team dares to dream that one day they might get to sit at the big table. And yes it happens all the time. Yes the big clubs win most of the prizes and yes they are money hungry organisations as you refer to them, but its the little clubs that are the life blood of football. Anyway its all moot now, because the real fans have spoken and the suits have been sent packing. Bye bye Super League.

The natural progression seems to be not to alienate your supporters, players, and support staff.

Wrong!!! The owners of the dirty dozen will not risk relegation and expulsion for an imaginary closed league, it's already starting to unwind.

Well Florentino Perez says that Roma can join in a couple of years so there you go. Of course Florentino Perez has never lied in his life so I can his word on that......