29 Apr 2015 09:34:53
Hi eds,
Have seen a few posts written about an eventual breakaway european league. If this were to happen, how would the teams within each tier be selected and decided upon?
Would it be completely objective and just use the european rankings or would the more powerful richer teams make the decisions dependent on which team they thought would make the league most marketable and competitive?
Thanks

{Ed002's Note - It remains very much a now issue Alex with regular discussions on the matter between a dozen or more clubs.

Without going in to too much detail: (a) A number of clubs take the opportunity a once or twice a year to discuss various issues including changes in rules, television rights, the power of UEFA, exploitation issues for new technology streams, etc.. These discussions, the last of which were in late March in Monte Carlo, also always turn to the possibility and structure of a breakaway pan European league. Several are ex-G14 clubs, several are not, and some clubs decline involvement in such discussions. The next meeting will be toward the end of August. (b) The plan is that at some point a number of clubs would break away from their national leagues and UEFA. They accept that they would be banned from all existing club competition and the players would initially be banned from all FIFA competitions as well, but know that FIFA would be looking to negotiate in any case. It would be the end of UEFA in all probability and UEFA are very aware of this. It would also result in a restructuring of many of the national leagues. (c) The clubs would renegotiate their television rights, rights of distribution via other streams etc.. (d) It remains the greatest fear of UEFA and all major national authorities that one day this will happen. (e) Timing wise, two very prominent clubs want it to happen as soon as possible (2018) but most are looking at 2022 being a good option. Realistically, a few clubs are looking at 2025 to 2027 and I suspect that could end up as the reality.

There is every likelihood that the big money from television, sponsorship etc. would go with a breakaway league. It would completely rupture the operations of UEFA and I would expect it would require national associations like the FA to restructure their leagues. Nobody wants this but it is the eventual consequence I would expect. Initially it could be that there is a single 16 team league with 2 or 3 EPL teams making the initial plunge. If I had to speculate, I would think (1) you might eventually see something like five or six EPL teams leave for two-tier pan European league - but it won't be based on the UEFA rankings; (2) the Premier League would be disbanded as an organisation; (3) the FA would restructure in to two 20 team divisions with lower leagues regionalised as they were many years ago; (4) FIFA would ban all players from the breakaway teams from International football - perhaps rescinding that position to stop FIFA breaking up as well. I could also see many teams lose their professional status. I would think we are probably 10 years away from any significant move at this time.

I hold a reasonably strong view in terms of the need to restructure football in Europe in any case. For me an eventual a breakaway pan-European league would force the restructuring of many of the national leagues, possibly resulting in a British league with perhaps only a couple of professional tiers and then regionalised amateur leagues below that. Financially I do not see that so many pro sides can be sustained within the sport which, like it or not, will see more and more money going in to the highest levels of the game. Governments will ensure that grassroots sport get funding but everything in the middle (Southern, Northern, Conference, Division 2, Scottish Divisions 1-3, League of Wales will not get the funding needed to continue on any sort of professional basis.}

1.) 29 Apr 2015
29 Apr 2015 12:01:27
Ed002 you know I love you and respect you as a man/woman, but it just won't happen because before 2025 we are going to be
(a) hit by a massive asteroid which will throw up huge plumes of dust into the atmosphere and set upon us another ice age,
(b) be wiped out by a malevolent race of aliens intent on destroying all mankind,
(c) be beseiged by the wrath of the almighty for being horrible to thy neighbours in the form of a flood which will (you've guessed it) wipe out all of mankind.
In any event the game of kicking a pigs bladder filled with air around a pitch will no longer take centre stage. This is one of the reasons why footballers are renegotiating contracts for more money so they can build their own Arks. UEFA are aware of this and are stipulating that a UEFA member must be on each Ark.

This is the conspiracy site right? .

2.) 29 Apr 2015
29 Apr 2015 14:43:21
Thanks for such a detailed post ed, really informative.
I was just curious as obviously there are some big sides in terms of fan base and history such as Man u, Liverpool, Everton, inter, AC milan, dortmund etc who are good sides but based on current league standings or rankings etc would not be in with a shout of making a top european league and possibly even struggle to make a two tier league system.
Think there would be some positives to a break away as the division and tension between UEFA, FA, Premier league, FIFA would no longer be an issue and the closure of UEFA as a whole would not sadden many people i wouldn't have thought. Although it may mean some of the lower league teams struggle it may overall benefit the system of football in this country as I own a community football academy and the issues at grassroots level with the sheer amount of pro clubs and their desperation so sign the next top talent messes up a lot of player development and is of little benefit to most kids
cheers again for the reply ed

{Ed002's Note - The discussions do not include all of those sides, but it is nothing to do with ranking or history.}

3.) 30 Apr 2015
30 Apr 2015 07:49:24
Thanks Ed, if it happens then I won't be supporting a team in a breakaway league. It goes against everything football is about and is designed to make the ruthless, greedy, capitalist pillocks infiltrating our sport even more money they don't need.
Let them go and good riddance.