European Super League

Mistyoptic

New member
Quick question, why didn’t Johnson and the British government immediately come out to kill Project Big Picture like they did this time? Because it wasn’t as bad as the ESL?

It wasn't as transparently terrible as ESL, no. Big Picture was pretty horrendous but they tried to hide plenty of the aspects behind the veneer of giving Championship Clubs and lower league teams more money. In Big Picture, the only teams getting shafted were the other 14 sides in the Premier League. Make no mistake, they were getting shafted hard (which is why it didn't go through), but at least there was some give and take.

Not a fan of Boris at all, and not suggesting he even particularly cares about football in the UK, but given the visceral reaction to ESL in England he didn't have any choice but to get involved. The fans - and critically the players - weren't having it. And without the players it was always gonna be dead in the water.
 

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
It wasn't as transparently terrible as ESL, no. Big Picture was pretty horrendous but they tried to hide plenty of the aspects behind the veneer of giving Championship Clubs and lower league teams more money. In Big Picture, the only teams getting shafted were the other 14 sides in the Premier League. Make no mistake, they were getting shafted hard (which is why it didn't go through), but at least there was some give and take.

Not a fan of Boris at all, and not suggesting he even particularly cares about football in the UK, but given the visceral reaction to ESL in England he didn't have any choice but to get involved. The fans - and critically the players - weren't having it. And without the players it was always gonna be dead in the water.

Thanks. So essentially Johnson saw an opportunity this time, riding on the waves of outrage from the public and thought by staunchly coming out to oppose and kill the ESL, he will gain more popularity in the eyes of the British people?
 

FCBfan22

Senior Member
Thanks. So essentially Johnson saw an opportunity this time, riding on the waves of outrage from the public and thought by staunchly coming out to oppose and kill the ESL, he will gain more popularity in the eyes of the British people?

Possibly. He certainly gained some points among people. If he did nothing, or worse, would approve of ESL, the public outrage would be even bigger. Could also come his way too.

Basically, he did a political power play.
 

Mistyoptic

New member
Thanks. So essentially Johnson saw an opportunity this time, riding on the waves of outrage from the public and thought by staunchly coming out to oppose and kill the ESL, he will gain more popularity in the eyes of the British people?

You could put it that way, I suppose...Boris is an awful, opportunistic person, but he's still the Prime Minister of the UK, and when so much of the country is so viscerally united against one common cause, he's pretty much obligated to get involved (whether that represents an opportunity to make himself popular or not).

ESL is a fundamentally noncompetitive, horrible idea, that sucks the spirit of the game out of football, and that's why people in England reacted the way they did. Imo, it's not down to Brexit or hating foreign influences. They just saw what it would do to the game and rebelled against it. If England had reacted in the same tame/half-arsed way as Spain and Italy then I think this project would still be a goer right now, and Boris wouldn't have got involved.
 

Porque

Senior Member
Thanks for the link to the FT article. There is a paywall apparently.

Without the English clubs there will never be an ESL though, at least it will not be attracting the kind of money they would have hoped.

I think this. Establish the top teams of continental Europe as a grouped entity. English clubs have shown with Brexit that they have the power/force of power upon them to protect their national interests feverishly.

Take advantage of the fixture gap when the CL reaches Quarter Finals and have a Super League between the Spain, Italy and whoever else with the grand final outside Europe (perhaps).

You won't be getting a 300m downside each but perhaps 100m to make up the difference in TV rights pay disparity between EPL and the rest.
 

BBZ8800

Senior Member
For some strange reason I feel we and Real Madrid are much, much closer than before,
or much closer than I thought. Yes, no more mes un que club scheisse.

This feeling disgusts me.

That's human psychology.
People always have two desires/urges:
1) ego = look at your own ass
2) protection from others in case of a danger

Now I will write three simple examples to see how humans change their skin based on what their ass needs:

1) Barca vs Real = in times of piece, and when there is no bigger threat to your life, then Barca and Real are the biggest enemies.

But now look at this:
2) imagine if, a foreign army attacks both Spain and Catalonia.
Let's say if Germans attack them.
= in that case, your life is at threat and a survival is more important than on-field rivalry between Barca and Real.
In that case, former arch enemies Barca and Real will unite and fight against a bigger threat = German army in this case.

But, look at this:
= in that case, German's are the biggest threat to Barca.
But what if suddenly aliens attack Earth during Germany vs Spain war?
Who is now the bigger threat: Germans or aliens?
= aliens, of course.
And now, suddenly, Barca & Real & Germany will unite in the fight against the biggest threat = aliens.
= so, safety is more important than ego in tht case.

But it also works backwards:
4) during the fight vs aliens, Spain and Germany will be friends.
But if we win against aliens, we might eventually again start to fight with Germans since there is no bigger threat.

5) and if, let's say Spain and Catalonia win against Germans, for a few years Spain and Catalonia will be friends, but over time (without larger threats in Germans or aliens), Catalonia might ask for an independence again and a hate between Spain and Catalonia may grow again.
= ego is now more important than safety since there are no threats to our lives so we can fight between eachother.

Now apply the same rules for Perez and Laporta.
In happy times, Barca and Real are enemies.
But in tougher times, when we don't have money for survival, we will unite with Real and fight against a greater evil: Uefa.

In a nutshell, this is human's wired behavior and psychology and this is why politicians, Ceos, owners and everyone are assholes and you
can't trust anyone because they will stab you in the back when they'll no longer need you.
 
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KingLeo10

Senior Member
That's human psychology.
People always have two desires/urges:
1) ego = look at your own ass
2) protection from others in case of a danger

Now I will write three simple examples to see how humans change their skin based on what their ass needs:

1) Barca vs Real = in times of piece, and when there is no bigger threat to your life, then Barca and Real are the biggest enemies.

But now look at this:
2) imagine if, a foreign army attacks both Spain and Catalonia.
Let's say if Germans attack them.
= in that case, your life is at threat and a survival is more important than on-field rivalry between Barca and Real.
In that case, former arch enemies Barca and Resl will unite and fight against a bigger threat = German army in this case.

But, look at this:
= in that case, German's are the biggest threar to Barca.
But what if suddenly aliens attack Earth during Germany vs Spain war?
Who is now the bigger threat: Germans or aliens?
= aliens, of course.
And now, suddenly, Barca & Real & Germany will unite in the fight against the biggest threat = aliens.

But it also works backwards:
4) during the fight vs aliens, Spain and Germany will be friends.
But if we win against aliens, we might eventually again start to fight with Germans since there is no bigger threat.

5) and if, let's say Spain and Catalonia win against Germans, for a few years Spain and Catalonia will be friends, but over time (without larger threats in Germans or aliens), Catalonia might ask for an independence again and a hate between Spain and Catalonia may grow again.

Now apply the same rules for Perez and Laporta.
In happy times, Barca and Real are enemies.
But in tougher times, when we don't have money for survival, we will unite with Real and fight against a greater evil: Uefa.

In a nutshell, this is human's wired behavior and psychology and this is why politicians, Ceos, owners and everyone are assholes and you
can't trust anyone because they will stab you in the back when they'll no longer need you.

Thanks for the lesson, BBZ "Sigmund" 8800

:mou:
 

mehdimike

New member
It wasn't as transparently terrible as ESL, no. Big Picture was pretty horrendous but they tried to hide plenty of the aspects behind the veneer of giving Championship Clubs and lower league teams more money. In Big Picture, the only teams getting shafted were the other 14 sides in the Premier League. Make no mistake, they were getting shafted hard (which is why it didn't go through), but at least there was some give and take.

Not a fan of Boris at all, and not suggesting he even particularly cares about football in the UK, but given the visceral reaction to ESL in England he didn't have any choice but to get involved. The fans - and critically the players - weren't having it. And without the players it was always gonna be dead in the water.
But according to Fifa rules, governments shouldn't interfere in Football!
 

katzik

New member
Perez yesterday " We are desperate we have millions of debt and we need money"
Real Madrid today : Signs Alaba for the next 5 years with a 20m!! signing bonus!

Oh lord.. Then Uefa is bad eh?
 

Morten

Senior Member
Perez yesterday " We are desperate we have millions of debt and we need money"
Real Madrid today : Signs Alaba for the next 5 years with a 20m!! signing bonus!

Oh lord.. Then Uefa is bad eh?

Barcelona are supposedly broke to, but can sign Depay and Aguero for some reason.
 

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