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Barça doubling down. 

“Given the public reaction that the aforementioned project has generated … there is no question FC Barcelona appreciates a much more in-depth analysis is required into the reasons that have caused this reaction,” the statement said. “Such in-depth analysis needs time and the necessary composure to avoid taking any rash action.”

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/22/historic-opportunity-barcelona-stay-committed-to-european-super-league

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European Super League: Project is 'on standby', says Real Madrid president Florentino Perez

Last updated on 22 April 2021.From the section European Football3325

[Image: Chelsea fans protest against their club signing up to play in the ESL]

The power of football supporters was clear on Tuesday as Chelsea fans gathered outside Stamford Bridge to protest against their club signing up to play in the ESL

The European Super League is on "standby" despite nine of the 12 founding teams withdrawing, says Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

After a furious backlash against the proposed tournament that was announced on Sunday, all six Premier League clubs involved withdrew on Tuesday.

Spanish club Atletico Madrid and Italian sides AC Milan and Inter Milan have also formally pulled out.

"We're going to continue working," said Perez. "The project is on standby."

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On Thursday night Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan raised concerns over plans to change the Champions League by adding more matches, saying it was just the "lesser of two evils" compared to the ESL.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have not withdrawn from the ESL, although Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli said the project could not now proceed.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta echoed Perez's comments, saying a new competition is required to ensure the financial health of the game.

"We will speak more about it when the time comes but for now we understand there is a need for it, even though our members will have the final say," Laporta told Catalan network TV3.

"Big clubs contribute a lot of resources and it's absolutely necessary that we have our say on the distribution of money [in European football]."

Laporta was named Barca president for a second time in March, taking the helm of a club in heavy debt.

Javier Tebas, president of Spain's La Liga, said: "If it [the Super League] was good for football, as Perez has said, they wouldn't have done it behind our backs."

On whether their would be sanctions from La Liga for the Spanish clubs, he added: "We are not talking about sanctions.

"Everyone wants to cut people's heads off. We have to have a procedure and we have to see how it looks in the end. These clubs have been sanctioned by their own fans."

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke apologises to manager Mikel Arteta

Solskjaer addresses fans' training ground protest

Speaking on the El Larguero show on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, Super League chairman Perez claimed the project was not yet dead as all 12 clubs "have not left yet".

"You cannot get out of the contract like this - they are binding contracts," he added.

When asked what the penalty was for leaving the project, Perez did not answer.

Why the ESL failed - and will clubs try again?

Perez reiterated his view that the ESL was created "to save football", having also previously said the move had been made because young people were "no longer interested in football" because of "a lot of poor quality games".

He added he was "sad and disappointed" by the reaction to the project, which the clubs have been working on "for around three years".

He accused Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and various countries' footballing authorities of "aggression" and "threats" towards the ESL.

"Maybe we didn't explain it well, but they also didn't give us an opportunity to explain it," said the 74-year-old.

"I've been in football for 20 years and I've never seen threats like this. It was like we killed someone. It was like we killed football. But we were trying to work out how to save football."

A revamped 36-team Champions League, starting in 2024, was agreed on Monday, although the ESL teams had said in its announcement of Sunday it did not think Uefa's reforms went far enough.

"The Champions League format is old and only interesting from the quarter-finals onwards," said Perez.

"This format clearly doesn't work, so we thought that we could have a format where the most important teams in Europe play against each other from the very beginning of the season.

"We worked out the numbers and felt we could make much more money, more money for all the other teams too."

Laporta said talks with domestic leagues and Uefa remain necessary, and suggested the ESL would not be a closed off competition.

"It must be an attractive competition based on sporting merits," he said.

"We also will defend national leagues and we're open to having an open dialogue with Uefa.

"We always want to improve football and have the necessary revenues to ensure football remains a spectacle. If the big clubs don't continue to have large revenues then football will suffer."

Meanwhile, Perez claimed one of English football's 'big six' - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham - were reluctant about the ESL from the start.

"There was someone in the English group that didn't have much interest, I won't say who," he said.

"That began to infect others, who are also people of an age, and who are perhaps afraid because they did not understand anything of what was happening.

"We all signed a binding agreement, but I think one was never very convinced."

Analysis

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague on BBC Radio 5 Live

Perez has got a vision and apparently the rest of the world is not seeing it and that's dangerous when someone feels like that.

He kept saying, in his second appearance in a disastrous PR campaign, that he's there to save football.

He's talking about big losses - in the case of Real Madrid, they've gone from expecting to earn 900m euros (£779m) to 600m euros (£519m) in only one season, and that stops them doing a lot of their projects, like maybe signing Kylian Mbappe from Paris St-Germain.

In Spain, we are a completely different type of fan. We don't act against things we think are unfair. In England, it is more like a lifestyle. They are taking something off you and you go out to try to get it back.

Perez has been untouchable for many years. But this vision did not really have strong foundations so the media are having a bit of a laugh here.

We are all very surprised Joan Laporta and Barcelona have not come out and pushed away from this idea. But, they are so desperate for money that they think whoever comes up with the right idea, they will just join in.

We are a little bit disappointed by the leaders of the two biggest clubs in Spain.

Attempts to curtail 'big six' influence

Senior executives from the Premier League clubs who were part of the ESL are being asked to stand down from various league working groups - or face being voted out by the 14 other clubs, reports BBC sports editor Dan Roan.

In a move that suggests the 'big six' influence is set to be curtailed, the Premier League is in the process of writing to; outgoing Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Liverpool chair Tom Werner, who sit on the league's broadcast advisory group; Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, who is on the audit and remuneration committee; and Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and Manchester City's chief executive Ferran Soriano, who are on the league's club strategic advisory group.

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European Super League

Florentino Pérez: the emperor who wanted more but lost for once

The Real Madrid president had been working on his Super League project for three years but it fell apart quickly and is now threatening his legacy

[Image: Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, has seen his Super League project fall down around him.]

Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, has seen his Super League project fall down around him. Photograph: Nicolò Campo/LightRocket/Getty Images

Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, has seen his Super League project fall down around him. Photograph: Nicolò Campo/LightRocket/Getty Images

[Image: Sid Lowe]

Sid Lowe in Madrid

@sidlowe

Thu 22 Apr 2021 13.00 EDT

Last modified on Thu 22 Apr 2021 17.21 EDT

There was a moment during the first and last television appearance Florentino Pérez made as the figurehead of a project he had been working towards for three years when he was asked how long he would be president of the super league. “Until they kick me out,” he replied. There was a laugh from president and presenter, something revealing in that reaction: this is not a man to give up power nor one easily removed, a man rarely denied. But, as it turned out, the correct answer was: about 24 hours.

A Colombian lesson from history: the super league battle is not over | Jonathan Wilson

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Pérez doesn’t give many interviews – “I prefer to have informal relationships with journalists,” he said once – but the following day he spoke to L’Equipe. Asked if he feared some of the other 11 clubs involved might back out, he replied: “No.” By the time his words were published, just before 8.30pm on Tuesday, theyalready were backing out. That night Pérez didn’t turn up for a radio interview with El Larguero; he was, they said, in a meeting, trying to hold it all together.

He failed. The project is over, at least for now, although Pérez is not one to accept defeat with good grace and revenge will already be on his mind, a determination to see this through. When he did turn up at El Larguero the night after, he declined to be introduced as “president of the Super League” but still clung to the idea that this rebellion could be resurrected, even as he stood alone.

One by one they had deserted, leaving him exposed. On Wednesday morning the Juventus chairman, Andrea Agnelli, admitted defeat; the “pact of blood” in pieces. Not long after midday, Atlético Madrid crept out with a short, unapologetic statement. At the Camp Nou, there was silence. Pérez claimed no one had gone as none of the penalisations to leave had been paid, but every club bar two had made public statements stepping back. Only Barcelona and Madrid were left, beaten by what Pérez considered a betrayal, particularly from his English partners – “old people who got scared”. At 74, Pérez is older than any of them.

Quick GuideEuropean roundup: Atlético win as Bordeaux go into administration Show

Atlético Madrid stayed in control of La Liga's title race by beating struggling Huesca 2-0 at home on Thursday with goals in each half by Ángel Correa and Yannick Carrasco.

Correa scored for the third time in two games to give Atletico the lead shortly before halftime, before Marcos Llorente pounced on a loose ball and squared for Carrasco to knock it into the empty net 10 minutes from time.

Bordeaux have been placed in administration after its owners, investment management firm King Street, said they no longer wished to support the club financially, the Ligue 1 side said on Thursday.

The former French champions have been struggling financially due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the premature end to the 2019-20 season also resulted in a loss of income when the league season was cancelled.

Their problems were compounded when Spanish media rights agency Mediapro, which had won Ligue 1 TV rights for a record €780m euros per season over the 2020-2024 period, went bankrupt and missed payments last year.

In Serie A, Napoli won a 5-2 thriller against top-four rivals Lazio on Thursday to stay within touching distance of the Champions League places.

Lorenzo Insigne's penalty and a Matteo Politano strike gave the hosts a two-goal lead at the break, before Insigne netted his second and Dries Mertens struck to put the result beyond doubt.

Mertens's superb finish, a powerful shot into the top corner from the edge of the box, made him Napoli's joint-top scorer of all time in Serie A with 102 league goals, alongside Antonio Vojak.

Atalanta missed the chance to go second as Roma fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against the 10-man visitors at the Stadio Olimpico. 

Gian Piero Gasperini's side went in front through Ruslan Malinovskyi in the first half but the match swung in the hosts' favour when Robin Gosens was shown a second yellow card with 20 minutes remaining, and former Atalanta player Bryan Cristante drew Roma level with a thunderous long-range strike in the 75th minute. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a one-year contract extension at Milan that will keep him beyond his 40th birthday.

"Milan is the club for which Zlatan has played the most in Italy. After scoring 84 goals in 130 appearances with the Rossoneri, the Swedish striker will continue to be wearing the red and black jersey next season," the club said in a statement. Reuters

Photograph: Jose Breton/Rex Features

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What, if anything, had been achieved remains to be seen and there may still be successes, but so far none of it looks good for Madrid or the Spanish clubs they took with them. There may be punishment – rebels rarely escape that – or perhaps there will be concessions, an attempt at rapprochement. Power looks likely to have shifted towards Bayern and Paris Saint‑Germain, while a relaxation of financial fair play will serve to strengthen Manchester City, Chelsea and PSG, the clubs Madrid always felt had an unfair advantage. They are a fan‑owned club, for whom oligarchs and sheikhs and petrodollars are a threat and an obsession.

Pérez had been revealed as a failure and projected as a villain by some. Grateful Madrid supporters launched a hashtag backing him, convinced he was right then and the victim now – a freedom fighter against the corrupt cabal of Fifa, Uefa, La Liga, the RFEF and the VAR. Familiar journalists came to his aide, echoing those accusations and effusive in their adulation. But in Cádiz the team were met chants of “money-grabbers!” and “capitalists!” as if this was their decision. And the front page of Marca, rarely critical of Madrid’s president, ran: “Super ridicule: the project led by Florentino Pérez fails in 48 hours”.

[Image: Andrea Agnelli (left), Florentino Pérez (right) and what Marca made of the whole Super League fiasco.]

Andrea Agnelli (left), Florentino Pérez (right) and what Marca made of the Super League fiasco. Composite: Getty/Marca/Reuters

Pérez had gone into the interview on Monday with a presenter he knew would lend a sympathetic ear, the most significant of his sycophants. That would allow him to explain the ESL as he liked, but it had not been successful and did not adequately explain, still less convince. Ultimately, what was left was the extent of the crisis, that apocalyptic vision. He had said football was in “freefall”, at a “critical moment”, “ruined”.

The word he kept repeating was “save”: they had to save football. Above all, they had to save themselves. “If we don’t so something, we won’t last long,” he insisted. “In 2024, we’re dead.” And then they had watched the English clubs pull out – one was never really convinced, Pérez later claimed – the project fall down, so now what? Does this mean there are only three years left?

This, remember, was the only public appearance so far from any of the clubs, who were busy hiding behind statements. Pérez had at least fronted up, shown his face, but that may not have helped. Some partners could not believe it when they watched him. This was not the messaging they sought – humble, open to dialogue – and nor was it the image.

A super league, a huge global concern, and this was how it was presented to the world? Not with a press conference, a united front, but with one man offering a circular, unconvincing performance on a tacky late-night show on a cheap set? An appearance over 90 minutes for a generation you say won’t watch a full football match? A message that was a curious combination of the arrogance of power, messianic, and also the vulnerability of desperation? The ultimate, elite competition, a modern billion-dollar industry that would change the media and fan landscape and this is how you’re selling it?

It didn’t look like a strong, successful, unstoppable revolution; it looked weak, or worse, that line about kids not liking football instantly becoming a meme. The saviour, sinking. The emperor, naked.

That was a surprise: even Pérez’s critics attack him precisely for his success rather than his shortcomings; they criticise and covet his ability to control. He is seen as a brilliant businessman, a highly competent administrator. A billionaire who has built a huge empire, he is as powerful a man as there is in Spain, with unrivalled leverage in business, politics, the law and media as well as football, able to get whatever he wants from whoever he wants – and aware of that.

When he promised to force through the sale of the club’s former training ground at the turn of the century, he insisted: “Trust my powers of negotiation, in my good relationship with the mayor of Madrid and the head of town planning. My power of persuasion is infinitely higher than the outgoing board.”

‘Suffer consequences’: Uefa to discuss punishments for Super League rebels

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That worked, as so much else has over wildly successful years at Madrid, made into the most powerful club on the planet, or so everyone thought. But this plan didn’t work. This project had been three years in the making but the final phases had been completed in a hurry, documents signed and promises secured under pressure. As it unravelled, much of it looks unexpectedly poorly planned, devoid of real content or unity, liable to break under pressure. Fifteen founders were in fact 12 and that coalition came apart quickly.

Things that are easily achieved and controlled in Spain proved to be more difficult elsewhere, where culture, context and power structures are different. “It wasn’t hard to persuade [the Barcelona president] Joan Laporta,” Pérez said publicly, his great rivals depicted as his dependents. He and Agnelli had thought it wasn’t hard to convince the others, too – and momentarily they had, no small feat – but the promises they made were soon broken.

The attempt to launch a breakaway league, enshrining their entitlement in perpetuity, has failed – for now at least. And that is not a feeling with which Pérez is familiar. He took the lead and risks that others didn’t, helping conduct a coup with Agnelli. Perhaps it was a miscalculation and it seems odd they did not adequately anticipate the reaction. Yet Pérez sounded baffled at the idea that anyone would not embrace this and this is a man for whom opposition, where there is any, is invariably overcome – in Spain at least, which may be part of the point.

The Fiver

Seemingly untouchable and rarely denied, whether through fear or favour, he may never have been as exposed as this. Which is not to say he is alone, without supporters, or that the pressure now will be impossible to withstand. Still less that his position is at risk like so many of those burnt by these past three days. From the outside the impression may be worse than in Spain, or at least there is a greater willingness to say so, but he remains popular among Madrid fans domestically. Pérez has won the past three elections unopposed, the latest of them not coincidentally just in time for this. The statutes, which he altered, make it virtually impossible to stand against him and if anyone did, they would surely lose.

Yet listening to him, you could hear this hurts. While some clubs could come on board and then leave the ship again and do it all in silence, pretending it never happened, Pérez can’t. For him, this was particularly significant and all the more so when he spoke up – the president and, with Agnelli, the public face of this project.

This is something he has wanted for a long time – he had talked about a super league more than a decade ago – and something he said his club needed now. That need – acute in Madrid and Catalonia; less so in England, as Pérez himself admitted – cannot be overlooked. Madrid made a small profit last year, but did so having imposed austerity and cut spending. Income was down by €300m and there were none of the huge signings that has characterised them. This league was a swift fix, a short-term solution and a long-term plan.

There was also something deeper. Pérez has always been driven by the idea of legacy, his place in the history of a club he supports – and it is often overlooked how much of a fan he is, his attitudes not an act. There is in him a sense of mission, of rescuing his club from a financial crisis to which they have now returned. “I saved Madrid, now we have to save football,” he said on Monday.

[Image: David Beckham (left) signs his contract with the Real Madrid president, Florentino Pérez, in July 2003.]

David Beckham (left) signs his contract with the Real Madrid president, Florentino Pérez, in July 2003. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

There is also a sense of emulating, even surpassing Santiago Bernabéu, something almost Freudian in it: from the stadium redevelopment to the construction of a new training ground, a project predecessors could not complete, and the galácticos policy. Luís Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham can be seen as a 21st-century Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskas, Raymond Kopa and Francisco Gento.

Bernabéu took Madrid into the European Cup, where their identity was forged, a competition they consider their own. Even as they sought to replace the Champions League with something bigger that would ultimately eclipse and end it this week, Pérez insisted they would be taking those 13 trophies with them. Bernabéu had coveted a competition broadly like this, too. “We would support without hesitation any move for a European League which, speaking personally, I am convinced one day will come,” he told English interviewers in a 1961 book that is effectively a manifesto of madridisimo. “Imagine it! Tottenham, Manchester United, Real, Barcelona, Reims, Juventus and a host more.”

Bernabéu could not make it happen. Sixty years on and for one day only, Pérez could. But then they started falling fast: Tottenham, United, even Juventus. Until in the end it was only him, the president of the biggest club in the world and a league that no longer existed.

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6 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

Gundogan stepping up to voice player concerns about these issues.  they're the whole reason these leagues/competitions exist, but they seem to have the weakest voice in the room.  

 

I don't even think it's necessarily the lesser of the two evils. Clubs need to take a giant shit on UEFA. The super league wasn't the answer but something needs to happen to get control of the game.

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Uefa

‘Suffer consequences’: Uefa to discuss punishments for Super League rebels

President Ceferin warns clubs must ‘realise their mistake’

He says England’s ‘Big Six’ called him and admitted error

[Image: Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Tottenham and Manchester City are among the 12 rebel clubs.]

Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Tottenham and Manchester City are among the 12 rebel clubs. Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images

Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Tottenham and Manchester City are among the 12 rebel clubs. Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images

Ed Aarons

@ed_aarons

Thu 22 Apr 2021 08.19 EDT

Last modified on Thu 22 Apr 2021 17.30 EDT

Uefa is considering imposing sanctions on the 12 clubs involved in the failed attempt to establish a breakaway European Super League. Its president, Aleksander Ceferin, has warned they will “suffer the consequences” of “their mistake”.

Anti-Glazer protesters enter Manchester United training ground

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The Guardian understands that the appetite to punish the renegade clubs – including the Premier League’s “Big Six” – is growing at European football’s governing body despite Ceferin hinting otherwise on Wednesday. In an interview with 24UR in his homeland published on Thursday the Slovenian also took aim at two of the ESL’s key architects, the Juventus president Andrea Agnelli and his Real Madrid counterpart Florentino Pérez, and said he had been shocked by their betrayal.

“We have 235 out of 247 clubs on our side … well, we had them, and now we have 244,” Ceferin said, referring to the fact that Juventus, Madrid and Barcelona have not formally abandoned the Super League. “You are with us. Yesterday I received SMS support from practically all clubs in Europe. So now we expect everyone to realise their mistake and suffer the appropriate consequences. We’ll talk about that next week.”

Uefa is believed to be exploring what punishments could be imposed. Whether that could extend to potential bans from next season’s Champions League as some have demanded remains to be seen.

The Bayern Munich chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, has replaced Agnelli as representative of the European Club Association (ECA) on Uefa’s executive committee, and the Manchester United director David Gill is the only remaining committee member with links to an ESL club and he is unlikely to be asked to step down given he is also Uefa’s treasurer.

Quick GuideEuropean roundup: Atlético win as Bordeaux go into administration Show

Atlético Madrid stayed in control of La Liga's title race by beating struggling Huesca 2-0 at home on Thursday with goals in each half by Ángel Correa and Yannick Carrasco.

Correa scored for the third time in two games to give Atletico the lead shortly before halftime, before Marcos Llorente pounced on a loose ball and squared for Carrasco to knock it into the empty net 10 minutes from time.

Bordeaux have been placed in administration after its owners, investment management firm King Street, said they no longer wished to support the club financially, the Ligue 1 side said on Thursday.

The former French champions have been struggling financially due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the premature end to the 2019-20 season also resulted in a loss of income when the league season was cancelled.

Their problems were compounded when Spanish media rights agency Mediapro, which had won Ligue 1 TV rights for a record €780m euros per season over the 2020-2024 period, went bankrupt and missed payments last year.

In Serie A, Napoli won a 5-2 thriller against top-four rivals Lazio on Thursday to stay within touching distance of the Champions League places.

Lorenzo Insigne's penalty and a Matteo Politano strike gave the hosts a two-goal lead at the break, before Insigne netted his second and Dries Mertens struck to put the result beyond doubt.

Mertens's superb finish, a powerful shot into the top corner from the edge of the box, made him Napoli's joint-top scorer of all time in Serie A with 102 league goals, alongside Antonio Vojak.

Atalanta missed the chance to go second as Roma fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against the 10-man visitors at the Stadio Olimpico. 

Gian Piero Gasperini's side went in front through Ruslan Malinovskyi in the first half but the match swung in the hosts' favour when Robin Gosens was shown a second yellow card with 20 minutes remaining, and former Atalanta player Bryan Cristante drew Roma level with a thunderous long-range strike in the 75th minute. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a one-year contract extension at Milan that will keep him beyond his 40th birthday.

"Milan is the club for which Zlatan has played the most in Italy. After scoring 84 goals in 130 appearances with the Rossoneri, the Swedish striker will continue to be wearing the red and black jersey next season," the club said in a statement. Reuters

Photograph: Jose Breton/Rex Features

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Ceferin, godfather to Agnelli’s daughter, reserved his harshest criticism for the Juventus chairman, whom he accused of “caring nothing about the sport we love”. He said he had “more respect” for the English clubs for admitting they had made an error.

“They know exactly that they made a mistake, they called me and I respect that,” he said. “You have to be big to admit a mistake and that’s why I have more respect for these clubs than for those who insist on something they themselves say doesn’t exist.”

Uefa’s Ceferin says Super League sides will ‘suffer consequences’ – live!

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The breakaway 12 could be hit by changes to the new Champions League format that would remove the proposal to award places based on historical performances.

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gündogan says the new format is flawed and will add to player fatigue, calling it the lesser of two evils in comparison to the Super League.

“With all the Super League stuff going on, can we please also speak about the new Champions League format? More and more games, is no one thinking about us players? The new UCL format is just the lesser of the two evils in comparison to the Super League,” he said on Thursday via Twitter. “The UCL format right now works great and that is why it’s the most popular club competition in the world for us players and for the fans.”

On Thursday Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, continued to support a Super League. “It is absolutely necessary,” he said on Catalan public television. “The biggest clubs create the most financial resources and we must have our say in deciding how the earnings are shared.”

He appeared open to tweaking the most controversial part of the project locking in 15 clubs and leaving only five places open for other teams each season. “It has to be an attractive competition, based on merit won on the field,” Laporta said. “We defend our national leagues and an open dialogue with Uefa.”

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The one line from Perez that stuck with me is when he said “the most important clubs”, not - the best teams.

I saw a video where a guy made a pretty detailed account of what the Glazer family has done to United, saddling the club with a ton of debt, while always taking money out. Pretty shitty.

 I’m amazed at how much debt these teams carry. If that number put forth a page or two back is accurate the people running these clubs should be punched.

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The Glazers have taken $1.3 billion out of United through loans and distributions.  

UEFA will need to be very careful in punishing the Super 12 or the entire economic model could collapse.  The transfer system is financed by the transfer fees paid by the Super 12 which literally trickle down through the rest of the pyramid all the way to the MLS (Chelsea buys Havertz from Leverkusen who buy Schick from Roma who buy Reynolds from FC Dallas).

 

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15 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

 

That's some crazy $$$ from the World Cup. I think the U.S. Women's Team wants a word (just kidding). But that is a seriously fucked up ratio of money.

I'd say most of it should go back to the national team organizations, for them to dictate where it goes, rather than just giving it to club teams. 

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how was it so impossible for kroenke to fuck up this badly?

one only needed look at how MLS used the efforts of the original supporters groups, used the images of the passion we created, and then consider the policies they enacted in the stadiums to literally simultaneously assault those same supporters creating said images.

american professional sports ownership: zero fucks given.  we thought soccer would be different, and for the first 5 years of the exhibition, it was.  the '02 contraction of the fusion and mutiny was the turning point.  the apogee was the kraft payday friendly when galactic spain eviscerated a depleted nats side 3-0 in the first half at gilette, and the score should have been 7-0.

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You guys act like he cares. That TO HIM this is fucking up.

He only chases the money.

Sofistadium_July_2020_(horizontal_crop).

 

He moved an NFL team with a die hard fan base in St Louis to a city that has never had a successful franchise in NFL history (every franchise has left).

 

To him, if he is making money, he's doing something right.

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5 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

Why punish the players for the problems of the clubs? 

This. If American sports show is anything - a Salary cap only hurts the players and makes the owners richer.

 

fuck a salary cap

@PittsburghTiger exactly what would a cap do to help anything?

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9 hours ago, Hagbard Celine said:

 

Freund is one of a growing number of American investors putting his hard-earned money into the lower leagues of English football.”

QUESTION: Why would anyone think that this money was “hard-earned”?

When you acquire that much wealth, it is rarely “earned”, nor is anyone putting in 40,000-hour work weeks to earn that money. What happened was they either inherited it or screwed the fuck out of someone, something, or many someones/somethings and now they acquire shit-tons more money while they sleep, shit, eat, screw... but they sure as fuck aren’t working hard to earn this level of wealth. 🙄

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chelsea apology

the wtf headscratcher is italic/bold

 

Dear ,

The Owner and Board of Chelsea Football Club would like to address Chelsea supporters about the events which have taken place over the past few days. We have taken time since withdrawing from the ESL to speak directly to various supporter groups and listen to their views and concerns.

Our ambition with Chelsea Football Club has always been to make it the best club in the world, both on the pitch and in how we work with, and give back to the community off it.

The joint decision to join the ESL was driven by this same ambition. When it became clear that a new league might be formed, we did not want Chelsea FC to miss out on the opportunity to play in such a potentially prominent league, nor did we want to risk the Club falling behind our closest English and European rivals in competitive terms.

As a Club, we are committed to an open and regular dialogue with our fans and other stakeholders, but, on this occasion, regrettably, due to time constraints and confidentiality restraints, this was not achieved.

As concerns were raised following the announcement, the Club took a step back to listen and speak to supporters. Following those conversations and taking into account the extremely strong views against the proposal, we reassessed our initial decision and decided we did not want to be part of this league.

We also recognise the sentiment that had been expressed about whether the ESL relied strongly enough on sporting merit. This is something we had strong concerns about from the start and were confident would have been addressed during a further consultation process with various stakeholders, along with other concepts in the proposal about which we had reservations. We firmly believe that we must protect a structure which allows all clubs, players and supporters to dream of, and achieve, success.

We recognise we should have addressed these issues in advance of joining the group. The Owner and Board understand that involving the Club in such a proposal was a decision we should not have taken. It is a decision we deeply regret.

Another important factor in the decision to withdraw was the potential damage to the Club’s reputation and work on good causes. So much effort has gone into community work off the pitch over the last 17 years, and there was a risk that all of the Club’s efforts directed by the Owner on fighting racism, antisemitism, homophobia and other discriminatory behaviours would be lost. We could not afford to jeopardise the significant advances we have made in these areas, nor the vital and ongoing work of the Chelsea Foundation in other areas of our communities.

Chelsea Football Club is first and foremost a club rooted in tradition and community. We are also an ambitious club, and we have always strived to be the very best. In order to do that, we must constantly strive to improve and sometimes take risks.

We always welcome a debate about how we as a club develop and take on these new challenges. There needs to be room for disagreements, debates as well as mistakes, and we need to give each other the benefit of the doubt, and understand that we all have the best interest of the Club at heart. Mistakes are unavoidable, but it’s the ability to address those mistakes and jointly move forward which makes us strong as a club and community.

The Club always tries to be open and transparent with its supporters, and we remain committed to this in the future and will take actions to rebuild the trust of the supporters that we have enjoyed to this point. As such, the Club renews its commitment to listen to and engage with its supporters far better in future. The Board will lead consultations with supporter groups and other stakeholders on new mechanisms or structures that develop and safeguard fan representation in the Club’s work.

The Club does ask, however, that this dialogue is conducted in a respectful way. The abuse which some club representatives have been the target of over the past few days is not acceptable. Antisemitism, sexism, racism and threats of violence have no place in our community nor in this discussion. We hope that you will help us make sure that a respectful tone remains, even when we disagree.

Chelsea has a very rich history, and we know we are very fortunate to play a part in that. The Club was here before us, and will be here long after us. Our job is to ensure we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future.

The Owner and Board thank you for your continued support for the Club.

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European Super League: Clubs 'cannot leave', says Real Madrid president Florentino Perez

_118183213_gettyimages-1207059133.jpg.9c51cc49eb6480e9db32fb9df3beb518.jpg

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says the 12 clubs that agreed to join a new European Super League have "binding contracts" and "cannot leave".

Nine of the 12 teams, including all six Premier League clubs, withdrew from the proposed tournament on Tuesday after the plan sparked a furious backlash.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have not yet abandoned the project.

"I don't need to explain what a binding contract is, but effectively the clubs cannot leave," Perez told newspaper AS.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56873448

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39 minutes ago, Hagbard Celine said:

European Super League: Clubs 'cannot leave', says Real Madrid president Florentino Perez

_118183213_gettyimages-1207059133.jpg.9c51cc49eb6480e9db32fb9df3beb518.jpg

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says the 12 clubs that agreed to join a new European Super League have "binding contracts" and "cannot leave".

Nine of the 12 teams, including all six Premier League clubs, withdrew from the proposed tournament on Tuesday after the plan sparked a furious backlash.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have not yet abandoned the project.

"I don't need to explain what a binding contract is, but effectively the clubs cannot leave," Perez told newspaper AS.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56873448

Everything Perez says should be taken with a grain of salt.

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The Bundesliga is going to continue to be really boring if it's just going to be Bayern getting anything and everything for the rest of eternity. I guess if you're a fan of the rest you're really trying to get that 2nd-4th CL spot because you're never really competing with them for the title. 

Edited by mdmost
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23 hours ago, mdmost said:

The Bundesliga is going to continue to be really boring if it's just going to be Bayern getting anything and everything for the rest of eternity. I guess if you're a fan of the rest you're really trying to get that 2nd-4th CL spot because you're never really competing with them for the title. 

RBL becomes a threat with the best defense in Europe so Bayer hires their manager and signs their elite CB.  

 

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On 4/23/2021 at 4:33 PM, hobbes2702 said:

Why punish the players for the problems of the clubs? 

I was just spitballin' there. It seems to work for the major US leagues, NBA & NFL. I'm not sure it's much punishment of Lionel Messi doesn't get paid his four-year deal of $673,000,000, or $168,000,000 per season, when the team is massively in debt to the tune of about a billion dollars.

On 4/23/2021 at 4:37 PM, Captain Ron said:

This. If American sports show is anything - a Salary cap only hurts the players and makes the owners richer.

 

fuck a salary cap

@PittsburghTiger exactly what would a cap do to help anything?

I just think that when a club, Bayern, can buy the best players from other clubs, just to keep them from playing against say, Bayern, then it's not a healthy system. Bayern dominates an extremely boring Bundesliga. Since 1968-69 season Bayern has won 29 titles, including the past eight, and finished second 10 times. It's not healthy competition.

In La Liga Real & Barcelona have combined to win 60 league championships and 49 runners-up finishes. That doesn't seem too healthy to me, especially when Real is also reportedly about a billion dollars in debt.

Manchester United is about $550 million in debt, but yet they pay the most salary, by $41-million per season, in the EPL.

I don't know what the answer is to these extremely famous clubs trying to break away and ensure themselves more and more money, while they suck at ownership and drive their clubs deeper into debt.

I root for Freiburg, and Gladbach because of my Godson, because that is the region my ancestors emigrated from when they left Germany.

But, I know they have no real shot at winning anything.

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5 hours ago, PittsburghTiger said:

I was just spitballin' there. It seems to work for the major US leagues, NBA & NFL. I'm not sure it's much punishment of Lionel Messi doesn't get paid his four-year deal of $673,000,000, or $168,000,000 per season, when the team is massively in debt to the tune of about a billion dollars.

I just think that when a club, Bayern, can buy the best players from other clubs, just to keep them from playing against say, Bayern, then it's not a healthy system. Bayern dominates an extremely boring Bundesliga. Since 1968-69 season Bayern has won 29 titles, including the past eight, and finished second 10 times. It's not healthy competition.

In La Liga Real & Barcelona have combined to win 60 league championships and 49 runners-up finishes. That doesn't seem too healthy to me, especially when Real is also reportedly about a billion dollars in debt.

Manchester United is about $550 million in debt, but yet they pay the most salary, by $41-million per season, in the EPL.

I don't know what the answer is to these extremely famous clubs trying to break away and ensure themselves more and more money, while they suck at ownership and drive their clubs deeper into debt.

I root for Freiburg, and Gladbach because of my Godson, because that is the region my ancestors emigrated from when they left Germany.

But, I know they have no real shot at winning anything.

 

It seems to work for the major US leagues, NBA & NFL

It works for THEIR OWNERS. The players get screwed in the process because their earnings are capped. And the players really hurt bad by this are the middle class players that aren't stars but are still good players. What's worse as we've seen these caps, it's hurt middle class players the most. The stars get their money, but then the caps kick in and leave much smaller amounts for the rank and file players. They have to take cut wages because there isn't cap space.

The NFL has been hit much worse because now with the rookie cap these players are just being cut. A guy that should be making 2-3 million as a solid player? Replace him with rookies who make so much less because their wages are capped further.

League Health

This isn't for the players to solve. They should be getting the max deals for themselves they can. If that means a single team is paying big wages and everyone else is never gonna win - so be it. It's not Bayern's fault that no one else is willing to dump money in their squad to run up against them. Dortmund has been close many times to overtaking Bayern and then would sell everyone when the off-season rolled around.

Team Debt

Again - team/owner problem, not a player issue. All of the clubs you listed have amassed the debt they have because their ownerships has done a poor job running their clubs, not the players for taking the contracts offered them.

If the teams offer these contracts, then the players should take them. If the teams don't have the money, don't offer the deals, and the players will eventually take a smaller deal.

 

Broken system?

If anything, the broken system is that of buying/selling player's rights. That forces teams to basically double dip. Pay millions to get the rights to a player, then need to pay the player millions on top of that. It doesn't work and hurts everyone involved:

* Teams - need to basically pay more for a player
* Players - have this massive deal they don't see any money from. And the transfer money forces a depression of salary because the club spent money just for rights.

A good example of the counter for this is Aaron Ramsey who ran down his Arsenal contract and got ~$29 Million/year from Juve because they didn't need to pay a transfer.

 

But again, a cap won't solve anything other than saving teams from themselves - and ultimately will only hurt the players because it won't let them maximize their earning power. 

EDIT - The real issue and if you read the Swiss Ramble thread he points this out, is that COVID has kicked the butt of all of these teams. Income sources for them was impacted across the board. And for the teams with major debt, they are getting crushed right now, especially those stretched really thin (Madrid, Barca). But again, no one forced them to take on this debt, they only did it to themselves.

Edited by Captain Ron
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On 4/27/2021 at 2:05 PM, Captain Ron said:

 

It seems to work for the major US leagues, NBA & NFL

It works for THEIR OWNERS. The players get screwed in the process because their earnings are capped. And the players really hurt bad by this are the middle class players that aren't stars but are still good players. What's worse as we've seen these caps, it's hurt middle class players the most. The stars get their money, but then the caps kick in and leave much smaller amounts for the rank and file players. They have to take cut wages because there isn't cap space.

The NFL has been hit much worse because now with the rookie cap these players are just being cut. A guy that should be making 2-3 million as a solid player? Replace him with rookies who make so much less because their wages are capped further.

League Health

This isn't for the players to solve. They should be getting the max deals for themselves they can. If that means a single team is paying big wages and everyone else is never gonna win - so be it. It's not Bayern's fault that no one else is willing to dump money in their squad to run up against them. Dortmund has been close many times to overtaking Bayern and then would sell everyone when the off-season rolled around.

Team Debt

Again - team/owner problem, not a player issue. All of the clubs you listed have amassed the debt they have because their ownerships has done a poor job running their clubs, not the players for taking the contracts offered them.

If the teams offer these contracts, then the players should take them. If the teams don't have the money, don't offer the deals, and the players will eventually take a smaller deal.

 

Broken system?

If anything, the broken system is that of buying/selling player's rights. That forces teams to basically double dip. Pay millions to get the rights to a player, then need to pay the player millions on top of that. It doesn't work and hurts everyone involved:

* Teams - need to basically pay more for a player
* Players - have this massive deal they don't see any money from. And the transfer money forces a depression of salary because the club spent money just for rights.

A good example of the counter for this is Aaron Ramsey who ran down his Arsenal contract and got ~$29 Million/year from Juve because they didn't need to pay a transfer.

 

But again, a cap won't solve anything other than saving teams from themselves - and ultimately will only hurt the players because it won't let them maximize their earning power. 

EDIT - The real issue and if you read the Swiss Ramble thread he points this out, is that COVID has kicked the butt of all of these teams. Income sources for them was impacted across the board. And for the teams with major debt, they are getting crushed right now, especially those stretched really thin (Madrid, Barca). But again, no one forced them to take on this debt, they only did it to themselves.

Please don't take what I said as an in-kind support of idiotic owners. I have never been against any player getting what he can get someone to pay him. I'm all for that. The buying/selling of players could indeed be scrapped and that would be good. I agree with you there. 

Do they have any type of revenue sharing in European leagues?

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1 hour ago, PittsburghTiger said:

Please don't take what I said as an in-kind support of idiotic owners. I have never been against any player getting what he can get someone to pay him. I'm all for that. The buying/selling of players could indeed be scrapped and that would be good. I agree with you there. 

Do they have any type of revenue sharing in European leagues?

TV contracts and, ironically enough,  transfer fees. 

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15 hours ago, shnsajax said:

Sounds like Jesse Marsch to Leipzig is done.

U.S. coach Jesse Marsch appointed new Leipzig manager

United States coach Jesse Marsch has been appointed the new RB Leipzigmanager after leaving defending Austrian champions FC Salzburg.

Marsch, 47, will replace Julian Nagelsmann who will join Bundesliga defending champions Bayern Munich next season after signing a five-year-contract.

Marsch returns to Leipzig where he was assistant manager at during the 2018-19 campaign under Ralf Rangnick. Salzburg are six points clear from Rapid Vienna in the championship round of the Austrian Bundesliga, while they still hope to tie up the Austrian Cup final on May 1 for the third season running.

Marsch began his coaching career in 2011 with an assistant role with the United States men's national team before taking charge of Major League Soccer outfit Montreal Impact the following year. His playing career spanned from 1996 to 2009 with three MLS clubs -- D.C. United, Chicago Fire FC, and Chivas USA -- and he had two caps for the USMNT.

In 2015, he became New York Red Bulls coach and guided them to the MLS Supporters' Shield and picked up the MLS Coach of the Year award that same year.

He left NY Red Bulls in 2018 for RB Leipzig, another club in the Red Bull armoury. It was seen as a gamble at the time, but Marsch impressed under Rangnick and it led to him taking charge of FC Salzburg in 2019.

Salzburg and Leipzig are sister clubs, with a number of players moving from the Austrian champions to the Bundesliga side. During his first season in charge of Salzburg, Marsch led them to a league and cup double -- becoming the first American coach to win a major trophy in Europe.

Marsch was confirmed on Thursday, just 48 hours after reports emerged Leipzig were also considering Wolfsburg manager Oliver Glasner, and Stuttgart boss Pellegrino Matarazzo. But Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has opted for Marsch, who will be charged with chasing down Nagelsmann's Bayern next season.

Marsch was also on the radar of Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur, sources told ESPN, but Mintzlaff is delighted to have got his man.

"With Jesse Marsch we were able to appoint our dream candidate as the new head coach and quickly fill the most important position in the sporting field at RB Leipzig with a top coach," Mintzlaff said. "Jesse has done an excellent job in all of his previous positions and has developed step by step.

"It is naturally a great advantage that he has already worked for RB Leipzig for a year. Jesse knows the club, the city of Leipzig and above all our club and game philosophy. In addition to his qualities as a coach, Jesse is characterised above all by his positive and ambitious manner he can inspire people in and around the club and take them with him. We look forward to working with Jesse Marsch so that we can continue on our chosen path with him and continue to develop the club. "

With Marsch's arrival, five of the Bundesliga top seven clubs -- Bayern, Leipzig, Wolfsburg, Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach -- will have a new person in the dugout for the 2021-22 season.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/rb-leipzig/story/4372549/us-coach-jesse-marsch-appointed-new-leipzig-manager

Edited by Napoleon
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More on Marsch from Euro sources. The first article is from "DW" (Deutsch Werld?) and reads like it has been translated a bit.

The second has not been translated.

Bundesliga: Red Bull Salzburg's Jesse Marsch becomes new RB Leipzig coach

Red Bull Salzburg coach Jesse Marsch will take the reins at sister club RB Leipzig following Julian Nagelsmann's move to Bayern Munich. We examine Marsch's suitability, his past, and the speech that made him famous.

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After Julian Nagelsmann was announced as Bayern Munich's new coach for next season, RB Leipzig needed less than 24 hours to decide on the new man to take them forward. That man is Jesse Marsch, the club confirmed in a tweet on Thursday morning.

Marsch, 47, is a product of Red Bull's global football imperium, having previously coached MLS side New York Red Bulls from 2015 to 2018 before spending a season as an assistant coach under Ralf Rangnick in Leipzig.

The American then replaced Marco Rose as the manager of sister club Red Bull Salzburg, signing a contract until June 2022. In his first season in charge, the he won the Austrian double and looks set to repeat the trick this season too... [click for full article]

https://www.dw.com/en/bundesliga-red-bull-salzburgs-jesse-marsch-becomes-new-rb-leipzig-coach/a-57365100

 

Perfekt! Marsch neuer 
Leipzig-Trainer

12,w=1986,q=low,c=0.bild.jpg

Jesse Marsch trainiert aktuell Leipzigs Schwesterklub Salzburg

Jetzt ist es offiziell!

Jesse Marsch (47) wird neuer Cheftrainer bei RB Leipzig. Der Übungsleiter, der aktuell bei Schwesterklub RedBull Salzburg unter Vertrag steht, ist sich nach Verhandlungen mit den Leipziger Verantwortlichen um Klub-Boss Oliver Mintzlaff (45) einig. Am Donnerstagmorgen veröffentlichte Leipzig einen kurzen Clip auf Twitter, in dem auf einem Flipchart beim Trainer aus JN (für Julian Nagelsmann) JM (für Jesse Marsch) gemacht wird. Sein Vertrag soll bis 2023 laufen.

Perfekt! Marsch neuer Leipzig-Trainer

RB-Boss Oliver Mintzlaff: „Mit Jesse Marsch konnten wir unseren Wunschkandidaten als neuen Cheftrainer verpflichten und die wichtigste Position im sportlichen Bereich bei RB Leipzig schnell mit einem Top-Trainer nachbesetzen.“

Dabei sah es zunächst noch so aus, als wenn der Amerikaner schlechte Karten auf den vakanten Trainerposten bei den Sachsen hätte. Mintzlaff, der einen guten Draht zu Marsch hat, sagte kurzfristig einen Trip nach Salzburg ab....

https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/fussball/rb-leipzig-jesse-marsch-wird-nagelsmann-nachfolger-76221010.bild.html
 

TRANSLATED LINK: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/fussball/rb-leipzig-jesse-marsch-wird-nagelsmann-nachfolger-76221010.bild.html

 

 

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16 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

hope he becomes the USMNT manager during this golden age.  2026 may be the time when these youngsters fully come into their own.

USMNT manager is a significant step back for a manager of a top European club.  If he succeeds at RBL, his next job should be a big EPL team.

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Most of the French clubs seem fucked. MediaPro owned the Ligue 1 broadcast rights. They made one payment and then went bankrupt.

Bordeaux was owned by King Street Capital. King Street basically walked away and put the club into administration. Saint Etienne's majority shareholders are trying to sell their stake for €20m.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-29/bordeaux-suitors-said-to-need-120-million-to-save-soccer-club

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1 hour ago, Schulz2.0 said:

Most of the French clubs seem fucked. MediaPro owned the Ligue 1 broadcast rights. They made one payment and then went bankrupt.

Bordeaux was owned by King Street Capital. King Street basically walked away and put the club into administration. Saint Etienne's majority shareholders are trying to sell their stake for €20m.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-29/bordeaux-suitors-said-to-need-120-million-to-save-soccer-club

Maybe instead of Italy, some of the Americans start buying some French clubs. 🤷‍♂️

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14 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

Maybe instead of Italy, some of the Americans start buying some French clubs. 🤷‍♂️

King Street Capital was American. I would expect most buyers will stay away from French clubs due to their TV rights deal completely fucking their finances.

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Ligue 1 was stupid for taking that Barcelona startup Mediapro deal anyways. They had no plan for tv distribution and when they finally announced a $30 plan for 8 games a week, they offered no other sports coverage or anything...

Bein sports basically stepped in and bailed them out on coverage and additional financial support.

But Bein also stopped paying last year when Ligue 1 completely canceled their season over covid. Which I think was a big concern/scare to La Liga and helped them figure a way to finish last season.

Canal+ was smart not to pickup the full rights and just sublease them from Bein Sports this season. They saw the Ligue1 issues and bailed, now Bein is back to broadcasting their games.

They completely fucked themselves with that media deal, their response to covid fucked themselves even more and now the owners that aren’t Oil are panicking

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