2020/21 Premier League & General Football Discussion
- Thread starter Liquid
- 948 comments
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- 29,272
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
BBC also reports that Barcelona and Athletico Madrid are poised to withdraw from the ESL..
Florentino Perez has released a statement...
Florentino Perez has released a statement...
- 29,272
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
Partick Thistle Chief Executive: "Does this mean other teams can join? Asking for a friend..."
- 6,838
- Europe
- GTP_Slim
- PzR Slim
BOOM! Very proud to be a football fan tonight. These absolute clowns completely misunderstood what football means to the average man/woman in the street particularly in the UK. I just hope that the bad feeling doesn't subside and we push to reform the game for the benefit of all.
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- 13,040
- United Kingdom
Ed Woodward is gone! CRAB RAVE
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56824130
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56824130
- 6,838
- Europe
- GTP_Slim
- PzR Slim
Such a shame we are in this pandemic and we can't go to the games. Can you imagine what the atmosphere amongst the fans at games this coming weekend would have been like? Home and away fans would have been mixing like never before and patting each other on the back. Would have been awesome!
- 29,272
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
Yeh, it could have been interesting... but hopefully it might have a lasting impact anyway.I've always argued that Celtic and Rangers fans secretly love each other, and would be lost without the other side.
Maybe the whole ESL debacle will make fans more appreciative of the part other fans play in the whole rich tapestry of life...
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- 29,834
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
Fan power is great but don't underestimate the whole thing being a simple ploy to get more money from UEFA.
Woodward was gone this summer anyway.
The Agnellis just got their preferred candidate voted in onto the FIFA executive committee today.
The real issue is how much more of this are people willing to take? Irrespective of what faceless owner has possession of a particular club, what about the next time this happens and the teams throw a strop? And the time after that? After that? Are you just going to let them urinate in your mouth again and again?
An example absolutely needs to be made out of every single club involved but you know it won't happen. It'll blow over by next season and fans will be back supporting their teams as per ususal. Owners and executives retreat to the shadows for a bit again. Then they'll come back with more delusions of commercialism.
Woodward was gone this summer anyway.
The Agnellis just got their preferred candidate voted in onto the FIFA executive committee today.
The real issue is how much more of this are people willing to take? Irrespective of what faceless owner has possession of a particular club, what about the next time this happens and the teams throw a strop? And the time after that? After that? Are you just going to let them urinate in your mouth again and again?
An example absolutely needs to be made out of every single club involved but you know it won't happen. It'll blow over by next season and fans will be back supporting their teams as per ususal. Owners and executives retreat to the shadows for a bit again. Then they'll come back with more delusions of commercialism.
- 29,996
- Cuddington, Cheshire
- JDA1982
- 29,996
- Cuddington, Cheshire
- JDA1982
I understand the pressure on a player who is employed by thier club (or thier PSC who are contracted by thier club) to play ball and remain silent/unopinionated on the matter, but the likes of Jordan Henderson are to be commended for coming out and speaking honestly about how they feel and the views the players who have spoken up have expressed match those of the fans who drive football.
- 29,272
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
How the owners of these clubs ever thought this was even remotely possible is beyond me...
... all the more reason to suspect that the whole ESL thing was a ruse - as @Liquid also suggests - since there was never any prospect of Barca (or even Real) being able to actually go through with it.
If it wasn't a ruse, however, then it must be one of the most audacious and utterly disrespectful acts in sporting history - not even consulting the managerial staff, the players or anyone else for that matter, is just crazy.
My guess is that the owners knew that it was a gamble they could get away with... if they get their way (either ESL or CL reform) then great, if not, who cares... the fans can't do anything about who owns the club anyway other than to walk away, but ironically the owners probably couldn't care less if their 'legacy fans' walked away, only to be replaced by people who are willing to pay even more to watch the teams play.
... all the more reason to suspect that the whole ESL thing was a ruse - as @Liquid also suggests - since there was never any prospect of Barca (or even Real) being able to actually go through with it.
If it wasn't a ruse, however, then it must be one of the most audacious and utterly disrespectful acts in sporting history - not even consulting the managerial staff, the players or anyone else for that matter, is just crazy.
My guess is that the owners knew that it was a gamble they could get away with... if they get their way (either ESL or CL reform) then great, if not, who cares... the fans can't do anything about who owns the club anyway other than to walk away, but ironically the owners probably couldn't care less if their 'legacy fans' walked away, only to be replaced by people who are willing to pay even more to watch the teams play.
- 1,320
- The Pool Of Life.
Arrogance, no understanding of football and the fans, and desperation. Florentino Perez, you would think the instigator and ring leader, is coming from a club, Real Madrid, who are generally successful, and generally get their own way in Spain. Barca and Madrid have huge debts, and with fans still not in stadiums, money will continue to be scarce. This seemed like guaranteed money for years to come.
He gets in the ear of American owners, who may have been connected with clubs for years, but have still not 'got' what football is to people. American owners who are coming from a country that embraces the 'franchise' system, and that the stability of a fixed league, with no chance of relegation, is good for 'business'.
Then there were the teams who may have thought this had a chance of working, and didn't want to be on the outside.
I don't think it was a ruse, as fall out from this could be devastating for years to come for those teams involved, no matter what deal could come out of this as a bargaining chip for better deals in other competitions.
Graeme Souness has said that there is probably an individual, private company or country behind the scenes who were ready to bankroll this, as a public company would have had to inform the stock market about such a big deal.
- 15,862
- wrexham
- jameskent86451
- Jamobomb86
All six English clubs involved withdrew from the competition (if you can call it that!) at around the same time earlier tonight at about 11pm annd they all released statements too.
Been one hell of a night!
Chelsea-Brighton finished 0-0, game wasn't great.
Been one hell of a night!
Chelsea-Brighton finished 0-0, game wasn't great.
