Arsenal have confirmed that the club is one of 12 founders of a new midweek competition called the European Super League.
Details of the project are detailed in a joint statement which the Gunners have shared on the club website.
When news leaked earlier this evening, it drew a furious response from each country’s respective football authorities. UEFA have already threatened to penalise those involved so it’s likely to be a spicy few weeks as the dust settles and the legal wrangling begins.
It goes without saying that we think the idea of a closed-shop league is a crock of shit even if it consolidates Arsenal amongst a group of clubs who are currently enjoying far more success on the pitch than we have been.
The joint statement from the European Super League
Twelve of Europe’s leading football clubs have today come together to announce they have agreed to establish a new mid-week competition, the Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs.
AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined as Founding Clubs. It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.
Going forward, the Founding Clubs look forward to holding discussions with UEFA and FIFA to work together in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole.
The formation of the Super League comes at a time when the global pandemic has accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model. Further, for a number of years, the Founding Clubs have had the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis.
The pandemic has shown that a strategic vision and a sustainable commercial approach are required to enhance value and support for the benefit of the entire European football pyramid.
In recent months extensive dialogue has taken place with football stakeholders regarding the future format of European competitions. The Founding Clubs believe the solutions proposed following these talks do not solve fundamental issues, including the need to provide higher- quality matches and additional financial resources for the overall football pyramid.
Competition format
- 20 participating clubs with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.
- Midweek fixtures with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.
- An August start with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter finals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.
As soon as practicable after the start of the men’s competition, a corresponding women’s league will also be launched, helping to advance and develop the women’s game.
The new annual tournament will provide significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments which will grow in line with league revenues.
These solidarity payments will be substantially higher than those generated by the current European competition and are expected to be in excess of €10 billion during the course of the initial commitment period of the Clubs.
In addition, the competition will be built on a sustainable financial foundation with all Founding Clubs signing up to a spending framework. In exchange for their commitment, Founding Clubs will receive an amount of €3.5 billion solely to support their infrastructure investment plans and to offset the impact of the COVID pandemic.
Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president and the first chairman of the Super League said: “We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world. Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”
Backing the new European league, Andrea Agnelli, chairman of Juventus and vice-chairman of the Super League said: ““Our 12 Founder clubs represent billions of fans across the globe and 99 European trophies. We have come together at this critical moment, enabling European competition to be transformed, putting the game we love on a sustainable footing for the long-term future, substantially increasing solidarity, and giving fans and amateur players a regular flow of headline fixtures that will feed their passion for the game while providing them with engaging role models.”
Joel Glazer, co-chairman of Manchester United and vice-chairman of the Super League said: ““By bringing together the world’s greatest clubs and players to play each other throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world- class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider football pyramid.”
RIP football
RIP Arsenal. We would be the whipping boys of that league as things currently stand. It’d be six pointers between us and the scum every season.
If this is going to happen, we have to be able to drop out of it and another club brought in. I know this doesn’t suit our club but right now Leicester are a far better football team than us. Until we get our shit together and earn the right to play in such a league, we should have to continue to battle it out with the Brighton’s and Norwich’s of this world.
Also, there’s an argument for Arsenal as regards our rich and silvery history.
But in all seriousness, why the fuck are Sp*rs in there?
Because financially – on turnover – they are a “bigger” club than we are and the point of the ESL is to try and group these clubs together – which is one reason why they want PSG and Bayern to sign up.
For information the latest figures (for 2019-20), split into the three main income streams, are:
Matchday revenue
Sp*rs £94 million – Arsenal £79 million
Broadcasting
Sp*rs £136 million – Arsenal £119 million
Commercial
Sp*rs £161 million – Arsenal £142 million (inc. Adidas/Emirates deals)
My take on this is that the Kronkes took Wenger’s regular top 4 finishes for granted and have realised how difficult it is to manage a club to consistent success. A lot of money has been thrown at the team in the last few seasons, a lot siphoned off by unscrupulous individuals, and we are stuck as a mid-table side praying for a cup success to play in Europe next season. This is not what the Kronkes bought us for, nor what they are used to in the US, they want guaranteed income and status to maintain the value of… Read more »
This is just pure self-interest. The clubs involved in this proposal probably account for the vast majority of broadcasting rights worldwide. Even when the Premier League sells their TV packages, they clearly define “tiers” where matches involving the “Big 6” are evidently the most sought after. In essence, this cash is generated by a few clubs and then spread equally among everyone. It’s no surprise that these clubs generating the revenue are now looking to capitalise on this. From their business perspective – why accept less when you can have more?
i would imagine getting to the playoffs and the latter stages of them would be heavily incentivised. much like the NBA/NFL.
Are you sure? To compete with the likes of Real Madrid and Man City would require huge investment with no guarantee of success. The money would roll in regardless, so it would be easy to take a hands-off approach and maybe you’ll strike lucky and Arteta will turn out to be the next Wenger, Saka the next Pires, Balagun the next Henry.
As an Arsenal fan for 20+ years living in the U.S. who only dreams of attending matches, I feel somewhat responsible for this abomination. To the (insultingly named) ‘Legacy Supporters’ who hold season tickets or regularly attend matches, I extend my sincere apologies for the demise of the club you understand in a way I never will. I’m glad to take your advice on how I can now be part of any solution that addresses the massive damage done by this absurd excercise in inequality.
Took Wenger’s top 4 finishes for granted. That didn’t only apply to the Kroenkes, but a large swathe of the fans too. The ridicule of the 4th placed trophy. Oh, would we like to have that now.
He stopped providing top 4 finishes
Exactly, this is Kroenke saying. I don’t want to do things the proper way so I will buy/cheat my way back into big Euro competition permanently. I’m embarrassed Arsenal are leading this charge. Just not suprised. If this is how it’s going to be, I hope we get kicked out of the EPL and then fade away like the rest of them and come back as Woolwich-Arsenal. Maybe this is the moment fans take back the game…probably not.
Dial Square FC
“I don’t want to do things the proper way so I will buy/cheat my way back into big Euro competition permanently”
the proper way being buying/cheating your way to the top of the league? Like Chelsea, City, United? Madrid? PSG? Barcelona?
When fans applaud a ne’er do well manager, yes, that is a way to return to Europe.
we’re the whipping boys of the premier league. In our nice £300m stadium, would be lucky to qualify for europa league.
Arsenal would absolutely do a Leeds if not for this ESL. And over half the clubs in the championship pay more in wages than they earn in a season, so unlike Leeds we might not have much of a league to drop into.
people are calling this the death of football. what they fail to understand is football has a terminal illness. The ESL is the reaction of these clubs to jump ship before it’s too late.
Which is why THEY wanted to be in it in the first place. Cos being the founding members will be excused from relegation.
That being said, this whole super league thing is disgusting
If you can’t beat them, join them. This is great news for Arsenal. It maintains our position near the top of the pyramid within football’s elite.
But we don’t know how this will turn out yet, do we? It may be as you predict or it may have serious knock-on effects with the relationship with the rest of football. Who knows? We need to get much more information than one side of A4 from the ESL.
This sort of attitude will be the death of AFC. I guess by elite you mean ‘earning the most money’. Stupid fans to think elite means ‘best at football’.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are the best at football.
For the last 20 years Elite has meant spending the most money. Not much of a difference.
For the last 135 year Elite has meant spending the most money
You seriously believe we will see massive investment in the team to be able to compete. This is the death of our club as we know it. Without fear of relegation from this league their is no need for major investment. Other clubs like man u, Chelsea, City barca etc are already investing far more that we do. For us and our owner I fear its just a cash cow. At least with the champions league, we had to invest somewhat to be good enough to get into it and reap its rewards.now that’s gone we will be the whiping… Read more »
I’m going to get down voted, but I’m happy we are in it rather than not in it, game has gone though. Anyway, the game is dead, long live the game.
Your lover has decided to head to the big city instead of staying in the small town. Either get on the train with her or wave goodbye. She’s made her decision and you can come with her if you want to, but you have to understand her career comes first. It’s more important for her to run a global conglomerate than wait tables at the diner.
“Near” being the only word that matters in your post. Guaranteed mediocrity.
Apologies if this appears twice. I don’t know why anybody is surprised. This was an obvious step from the moment clubs flexed their muscles with the formation of the Premier League. I wrote to David Dein at the time and said this would alienate the club from supporters and would mean that as the father of two children I was less likely to get them engaged with football. Personally, I have drifted away from football in a way I never thought possible. We see Arsenal as an English football club that is ‘ours’. The owners, of any of these top… Read more »
David Gooner, exactly right. These are now global teams, and much of the (relative) success our Arsenal community has enjoyed over the last 25 years has been enabled by our acceptance, bit by bit, of the conditions: we built the stadium, got the Arab state sponsorships, got the American owners, took the massive TV money, signed Ozil and Sanchez and paid 73 million for Pepe, sacked managers for not keeping us among the elite. And as supporters, we stayed committed (or didn’t). This train has been leaving the station for years, and now we’re on it. I’m sure some will… Read more »
yes. it’s been coming for a long time and i think little can be done to stop it. personally, i always felt leaving highbury was the beginning of the end. these people don’t understand the magic of being in a stadium packed with hard core fans where decades or even a century or more of history has been made. the emirates has always felt like a soulless place in comparison and not surprising we have won nothing since we moved to it.
Fan indignation i sympathise with and feel the same, shame on our owners. UEFA, the FA, the Premier League spouting vitriol about protecting the game, the fans….no way, they are only worried about their bank accounts like our souless owners.
Please don’t anyone take offense but I feel like I’ve been raped, abused then discarded. It’s like living in a totally different reality, one in which we feel/are totally powerless.
Jesus titty fucking christ.
Arsenal are dead to me if they go through with this.
Welcome to Arsenal soccer club
What’s with the anti-american sentiment?
Most of the breakaway clubs aren’t owned by americans
Because this is American style format of sports
Thanks Hei
Super League is a godsend to Arsenal in particular. Don’t know what some of our fans are whining about.
But we don’t know what the wider ramifications of any ESL will be for Arsenal or any other club because it isn’t even fully formed yet, let alone organising matches or actually kicking a ball.
I think the fact that it completely fucks the whole sport is a good thing to whine about.
By providing €10bn for the rest of the football pyramid? What’s UEFA offering?
What’s UEFA offering?
The chance for West Ham – should they finish in the top four – to pit their wits against the cream of Europe.
That’s what UEFA and the ECL offers. Opportunity for all Premiership clubs to challenge for a place to play against the best in Europe.
That’s what the game is about. Rewards on merit.
Sorry to break the news to you but the game is about to go bust!! Premier League loses are in the billions and the same will be replicated around the other European leagues. What is UEFA offering to solve that? A 36 team league where the team that finishes 24th can win? That’ll lead to more pointless matches that make no money? Is that what football is about? This is how football dies!! The Super League offers an alternative were by the biggest teams, play the biggest matches, generating the biggest income. Providing €10bn for the rest of the football… Read more »
What ‘some of our fans are whining about’ is the death of football – purely for the sake of greed on the part of multi-billionaire owners. We MUST prevent this from happening.
Arsenal Soccer Franchise*
Our club has lost it’s soul and it’s integrity. There was a time when I used to be proud of this club whethere we won or lost, we always acted with class. Now we sell ourselves to whomever pays the most. I understand the club had no choice but to sign with the other five clubs in fear of missing out. But Integrity supposed to mean you stand true and oppose what you believe to be morally wrong even at the expense of your own loss. Unfortunately, i am ashamed to say that Arsenal FC has not acted with neither… Read more »
Erratum: meant to say”Arsenal FC has acted with neither class nor integrity in this instance”….was so pissed didnt even bother to re-read my comments before posting. Fucking greed of men….! Facing the likes of Inter or Real Madrid were cherished memories cause they happend so occasionally on an European night. There was that aura or something magical when you heard that UCL theme song playing in the background as our players stood shoulder to shoulder. It filled you with anticipation. Now to face them every year two times and and never having to worry about relegation just devalues it imo.… Read more »
I realise the proper response here is to swear, burn all my shirts and start following a different sport, however I just wondered, what would people’s reaction be if this wasn’t a closed shop and instead had full and transparent promotion and relegation? For me this is literally the only problem with it.
It’s just a re-formatted champions league with no risk of demotion (for now). Arsenal fans are used to losing by now, so we should enjoy finishing 10th in the ESL.
Now, now. We’re not at home to “Mr Sarcasm”.
I’m sure many of us are filing that post under ‘Required Like A Hole In The Head.’
I prefer to play Burnley twice a year than playing Barcelona or some Italian has beens every month for a nine month season
It’s the total trashing of English football’s tradition – and by extension Arsenal’s tradition – that I suspect is putting so many noses out of joint. Take away a club’s tradition and you strip away their identity.
Same. I don’t entirely object to the concept format wise. But I do object 100% to it being a closed loop.
But it is a closed shop.
End of.
You know what? Fuck this club.
This is the least of our concern right now, but think about how Arteta was asked about this earlier, and said he had no opinion because he knew nothing about it.
If he was telling the truth, and he’s the manager of our club, that’s some astounding secrecy that our owner and executives are keeping from the man that’s supposed to be planning the club’s short-medium term future.
If he was lying to the media and fans, he should be ashamed and grouped in with those who made this disgraceful decision.
Neither outcome is good.
Why would the potential formation of a super league years from now be discussed from the owners to the manager?
It’s not “years from now”. It’s in August.
Years from now? They want to start in 2022 at the latest.
“Commencing as soon as is practicable” simply means: “UEFA, it’s your turn to counter propose.” It sounds like the 12 clubs are willing to listen to better terms from UEFA.
Like many other Arsenal fans, I find this deplorable and sad. On a sporting level, it’s also crazy!
As soon as practicable means never. They can all rot. I want nothing to do with Arsenal in this guise of european royalty. This was a club started by working men, not billionaires
I feel Super League is good. This is our middle finger to UEFA and FIFA. Whatever happened to FFP. Plus the premier league wage cap is ridiculous.
Yes, but the ESL has a lot of work to do yet – three founding clubs still to sign up (12 of 15 currently); no representation from France or Germany yet (they need as complete a coverage of major European leagues as possible); and they’re a further five participating clubs short (even if they get the 15 founding clubs).
With the anticipated legal and other action in the pipeline by both sides the ESL will be doing very well indeed to get all that sorted by “2022 at the latest”.
Arteta?!
Dude, this is clearly above his pay grade.
Why does everything at Arsenal have to twist into attacking the manager?
I’m not trying to go out and attack him for the sake of it. I actually believe in what he’s doing more than not.
I take your point and the other commenter’s. I think you’re probably right. Emotions are running a bit high at the moment. I shouldn’t have jumped to that conclusion.
Cheers to that, I’ve been there many times. It was a lackluster day, followed by this ridiculous news.
Yeah, it’s a shitshow, I hate that it has come to this. One way or another we’ll have to stay strong.
In my view, it just sums up this whole mess. Of course he knew about this whole thing, but he surely won’t be the first talking about this after drawing to Fulham. That he did not speak about it was clear. But it just hurts, that nothing was said about it.
Tbf, in reality if my boss is driving an initiative and some public media asks me about it, would I say anything about it? Hell No!
Yeah definitly. It’s not reasonable to slack Arteta, because he said, he knows nothing. But it hurts just even more.
We should not slack Arteta. But everything in this thing just hurts. And what will he say the next week in press conferences? Will Stan or Josh ever say something? Or will Mikel have to take everything. And those comments are going to hurt. If he does not resign, he will have to cope with it, and how do you maneuver out of this?
It will be an absolute sh*tshow.
KSE are a bunch of coward, they never face their battles/wars rather use shields, like they did with Wenger and maybe now mold Arteta into that role. You can see why Unai was sacked because he was not a suitable human shield due to lack of proper English communication.
You can’t fuck just one, it’s a package. FFSC, fuck the founder clubs
I don’t know why anybody is surprised. This was an obvious step from the moment clubs flexed their muscles with the formation of the Premier League. I wrote to David Dein at the time and said this would alienate the club from supporters and would mean that as the father of two children I was less likely to get them engaged with football. Personally, I have drifted away from football in a way I never thought possible. We see Arsenal as an English football club that is ‘ours’. The owners, of any of these top clubs, see them as a… Read more »
100% mate, I’d be keen to start a new Arsenal; much the man u fans did after the glaziers bought the club.
Disgusted. Ashamed. Embarrassed.
As you say, don’t hate the club, hate the owners.
They use your love for a club like a human shield. It’s gone too far.
Boycott.
As long as everyone keeps putting money in Kroenke’s pocket he’ll keep fucking the club up, it’s the only way to make them go away.
Americanization of football!
God save England & Europe.
Not sure what it has to do with America. didn’t rugby do this some time ago?
There are no leagues like this in the U.S. just seems like people trying to find someone to blame and be mad at vice the greedy owners of these clubs.
As an American myself, I have to agree with the other post that this is in fact the “Americanization of Football”. Essentially, the creation of the European Super League turns football clubs into franchises very similar to American sports teams where there is no threat of relegation. This creates a sort of acceptance of mediocrity for some franchises because there is no fear for loss of revenue due to dropping down a division. I’m scared that once Arsenal is in the Super League, Kroenke will feel no great need to invest any further in the squad because of the massive… Read more »
This is starting to take shape and move from club football towards franchise business, that’s what I mean. No offence to Americans but definitely to their greedy businessmen.
Americans have no relegation in any of their sports.
Rugby is not relevant. Not in terms of it social reach, financial power or number of registered players.
And the next chapter is chineziation…
Not even Dennis can save us now
Boycott the shit out of the American venture capital takeover of our game. Fuck them all. Let’s get the fans together across the country from all clubs involved and stay out of the stadiums. Only way we are going to win back our clubs.
I like the sentiment, but boycotting games right now…hmmm, surely there might be a better way.
Unpopular opinion obviously, but better in than out. Frankly I’m surprised Arsenal got an invite. Also look at this way, who has any love for UEFA? I don’t care who is running the competition or who profits from it because either way it won’t be me. What bothers me is the closed shop format of the competition. Clubs like Ajax, Benfica etc etc will become entrenched as feeder clubs for this new cartel, but in truth this is basically the case already. So, like I said at the start, if you want to Arsenal at the very top of the… Read more »
It has been like this for years (with the CL) but this is taking it to a whole nother level. But it’s not Arsenal who start beeing in it, it is Kroenke.
And if this is what the top level of football is in the future, then I couldn’t care less. If it is not done by playing good football and doing the right things as a club, but instead just buy in, because we were quite good 10+ years ago and still have a lot of fans, than I couldn’t care less.
What about the FINANCIAL FAIR PLAY rules? 🙂
You know why Arsenal got the invite? Us
Because there are plenty of Arsenal fans. To hell with the results. Those things aren’t important.
But also don’t give a single penny to the club while they’re revelling in this heap of dung. Cancel subscriptions to whichever broadcaster buys the rights too
They’re only doing this because they think it will enrich them further, show the parasites how wrong they are
Can we all take to Twitter and send a message to those blasphemous pigs that we won’t swallow this pill easily?
It will be Amazon. 100%. They have been around the last time, they will be this time. Sky and so on is not going to touch that thing. They won’t get near.
reason 1 Trillion and 1 to hate Jeff Bezos
Yes, but how would you feel if the ESL goes forward with Arsenal on the outside?
Personally I’d feel much happier. If it goes ahead and we join I’m going to find another team outside it to support. Football in that format is not something I want to see or support, that competition doesn’t represent anything that I love about football
Upon reflection it would be awesome if this move resulted in the financial ruin of those clubs involved, reinvigoration of national leagues and an improved european cup.
Disgrace
🤮🤮🤮
They can go and f@ck themselves
The first time I have even considered giving up being a fan, but this is beyond the pale. Not sure how we recover from this even if it ends up with us in uefas version instead
It’s the second time for me. After last years UEFA Man Citys debacle, where I thought, what is this sh*t? But this thing looks like a whole nother level.
Completely agree, I hate it. The whole of football is on the wrong path, even this reformatting of the champions league sounds shit, but this super league is beyond the pale. Everything that makes football great is being sucked out of it
Fuck’s sake, Arsenal… Shameful.
No more Thursday nights
We can’t even win Europa and we’re acting like it is beneath us. Arrogance, greed, and incompetence.
We can’t even qualify for it…
That’s the point, if we can’t qualify we change the rules
I have enjoyed the Europa League. Being in a competition that we could feasibly win each year has been more enjoyable than being knocked out by Bayern Munich every year. We now look forward to being the whipping boys of Europe. This is all pretty shameful really.
100 % agreement.
What a load of horseshite. Unbelievable.
Embarrassing, we’re a shit team that would get destroyed but this is so wrong on so many levels. Embarrassed to support this club for the first time in my life
Nothing super about arsenal at the moment. Mid table and won’t even make the Europa league next season,
Laughable!!
Man U, Spuds, and Arsenal not even in the Champions League.
Our owner is delusional. We will finish last in this league every year the way he funds/treats the club.
You think he gives a fuck?
Oh he knows that, and he’s happy with it. Look into his other teams. Aside from the once in a blue moon when they do well despite themselves, they’re all bottom tier clubs in closed leagues that are wildly profitable precisely because there’s no attempt to actually spend more than the minimum.
The answer is $3.5 Billion dollars.
Somehow I read this in Cartman’s voice.
Are you surprised? The whole American system is set to reward failure. Finish last and you get the first pick of new players for the next season
Shame. I’d call them goat buggerers but that would be an insult to goat fuckers the world over.
I’m done with Arsenal and I’m done with football. Fuck them both up the arse with a pineapple.
Getting more disillusioned with this sport every day. See how long this joke of a competition will last when no fans show up for the games. Though we don’t always know it, we fans have the power. Boycott.
“to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole.”
The language is truly abhorrent.
Gonna have a stab at this… Everyone’s flipping out but here’s the reality… this isn’t replacing the premier league, it’s replacing champions league football. Which we haven’t had for years, and now everyone’s complaining that we’re in the super league ? So how the Fck would everyone be feeling if we were excluded right now… fuck Uefa anyways, bunch of cnts. The champions league and Europa has gone stale. The early rounds are boring as fuck with pointless fixtures. Same boring format, who’s gonna miss playing shite teams from the Eastern block before an actual interesting 1/4 or semi final… Read more »
Don’t be talking sense here!
Is that your daily mantra to yourself?
THat’s a good one for you! Gold star ⭐️
A gold star, eh? Who’s it sponsored by, how exclusive is it and how much additional subscription and viewing rights do I have fork out for it?
I found it on the floor
Well, if you back Kroenke, then the gutter is clearly the best place for you.
You support racist murderers of 6500 slaves, you’re still looking up!
How would we feel if we were excluded from this bullshit?! We’d be feeling pretty fucking good not to be anywhere near this disgrace. But it’s plastic fans like you that kroenke and the rest of them are betting they can win over and take even more money from because that’s the only thing that matters to them.
The CL and EL are meritocratic competitions that you have to earn a place in by playing good football. It’s at heart a competition, not a self serving monopolistic association of clubs, however flawed it is. Football is about all of the clubs, not just rich clubs with 1000s of plastic shirt-buying fans. Who will care about the early rounds ending? The thousands, millions of people who are fans of the “shite teams”, whose dream it is that Arsenal or Milan or Juventus play their team and visit their city. The money they get from playing in those competitions trickles… Read more »
Absolutely 100% this Tomaury! Eloquently put.
Brilliantly expressed mate.
The issue is UEFA isn’t going to accept this nor will the PL. That means either the PL backs down and lets the top 6 basically kill off qualifying for Europe or the top 6 leave the PL. So few domestic leagues have more than 1-2 teams that really can win the league most years that it would kill off interest in the league if there’s no race for European places. Who cares if you finish 2nd or 15th in the PL if this goes ahead as it won’t really matter.
It’s bad enough FFP is a joke, now we’re facing a clique of clubs entrenching financial supremacy divorced from results and ability. Leicester, West Ham, deserve a run in Europe, Arsenal deserve nothing for this season. It’s repulsive arrogance to claim Arsenal are deserving of being in the top tier of European football with the current performance of the team.
Yep. The value of any club outside the super league has just collapsed overnight. Everyone else will just be a feeder club.
This isn’t the end of European football but a recalibration.
Surely all football fans want to see competitive matches and quite frankly that’s not what we currently have.
If this format can be replicated into lower divisions of say the teams between 5-9 from the other top leagues and beyond we might actually end up with more European football worth watching.
3 or 4 division of the Super League format with promotion between them will lead to a far more interesting state of affairs
15 out of the 20 spots are permanently set according to this plan, completely regardless of performance. That leaves 5 slots out of all of Europe. Pretty hard to spin this as anything other than a pure money grab. Sponsors and tv deals will flock to this which means there will be far less for any other clubs outside the super league. This is a complete game changer
What a crock of shit.
Football needs to be a meritocracy – not one governed by financial clout.
If these so called top 6 are barred from PL the I think it would be good for PL, we will have better/fair competition and maybe more champions. Fuck these entitled cunts and I hope PL shows them the door ( sadlyit will not happen though)
So a competition is at fault we aren’t succeeding in it? Sure UEFA are a bunch of cunts, but the reason we’re not in the Champions League is that we haven’t been very good for a number of years, which, incidentally, was why it also felt stale while we were there – getting always knocked out it the first play-off round isn’t too much variety. I don’t know how us getting battered by the same 11 teams every week is more “interesting” than trying to get to a point where you can compete with Europe’s best? Football is a sport,… Read more »
It’d be a lot worse news if we weren’t in it.
Put it better than I did JB. Sure it’s an uncomfortable change but will shed no tears for UEFA. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the clubs want to run their own competition, I mean that’s essentially how the Premier League came about.
We don’t like change. You have no authority here JB1 😂
You’re right that, for fans of the top clubs, “The early rounds are boring as fuck with pointless fixtures”. The solution to that (if you want to change it) is pretty easy, you don’t need a closed league. You just shrink the size of the CL (eg from 32 to around 24) and tilt qualification slots more towards the the top leagues (with pre-qualification matches for lower leagues). Say top 6 England, top 4 of Spain, Germany any Italy, top 1 of France, Portugal and Netherlands and 3 spots for other teams in pre-qualifying Arsenals still wouldn’t be qualifying for… Read more »
Almost reads like an April fool’s joke.
Wow. F*ck this.
Yup. Another nail in the coffin. Fuck off. We should be relegated straight up. Would love that for Kroenke and the history books for doing this. Massive greedy cunts providing us nothing. I feel utterly ashamed. And I`m livid for Arsenal FC making me feel ashamed.
This is a power-play
They’ll say to the rest
“Either accept our proposal and take a small slice of the pie”
“Or we’ll breakaway completely, and take the whole pie”
And they’ll be hoping that they choose the second option, because they don’t want to share their pie with anyone
To everyone at Arseblog; writers, podcasters and all of us as readers. Thank you for everything you have brought to us as fans. But I think I’m done with football. 31 years as an Arsenal fan and I no longer recognise my club. I’m gutted.
In saying this, I will still follow, read and listen to Arseblogs content. Certainly on the cusp of hypocrisy but I do not want to see this suffer. Andrew and the team have given us many years of high quality content. For free. Let’s not forget that. The very least he and they deserve is our continued support.
Hear hear. Top post.