Isn't football just a business?

I think you are wrong there Football is a game there are only 3 sports Hunting, Fishing and Shooting.

 

No.

 

If they can’t Chuck them out of the league schedule them a league match everytime they have an unofficial European game, see how that goes, they could be in league 2 in no time

 

They would if they had the opportunity, without a second thought

 

I just think they genuinely believe they can have a slice of both pies and that they’re too valuable to the premier league for them to do anything about it.

 

There is no doubt that this move goes very much against the ethos of sport as a whole, and football and it's historical development in particular. I for one will be glad if it can be prevented. However, all the things that are being threatened by the government to put obstacles in it's way go directly against the government's philosophy in other spheres of business. The counter measures suggested in Parliament yesterday, and those being touted by the FA/EFL look very susceptible to 'restraint of trade' type legal challenges. We complain about 'badly-run' clubs - these big boys appear to be the complete opposite at least in commercial terms. And let's not forget it's the fans' dollar for TV subscriptions in Asia and the far east that the clubs are after - not supporters in stadiums here. Representatives say that the contracts have already been signed!

 

Wasn't it roundabout the year 2000 when Man United were given parlance to play in a meaningless tournament in South America, rather than defend the FA Cup?
Purely to help the FA's cause of bidding for the World Cup, thus stabbing the German FA in the back in the process?

 

They knew full well what was going to happen and they just didn’t care.

 

I think this is right. The Asian markets are more lucrative to them now. Let them go...

 

Real Madrid are also only club in the world who can never go bankrupt

 

Difference being that tournament was/is sanctioned by FIFA, UEFA etc.
Your point about double standards are correct though as Liverpool had to play a reserve team against Villa the other year as a result of the same tournament.

 

I reckon when that happened initially it started to devalue the magic of the FA Cup in a way

 

The thing that is annoying me most is all these pundits, ex pros who have been earning £000’s per week are actually the cause of this and are now bleating about wrong the proposed ESL is.

Where there’s money to be made some people will want to make more and where there’s money there’s corruption. Whole thing is eating itself and a lot of people IMO need to take a look at themselves for what they have taken from the “working mans game”.

Players from the 80’s had to have a career when they retired, pub landlords, tradesmen etc. Nowadays they can finish playing as multi millionaires. The players are as much the problem IMO as the owners.

 

I can see your point regarding the money they've made but they weren't the cause of it. The owners of the same clubs were pushing for more revenue and the likes of Sky facilitated it. Now if that money is going into those clubs i'd rather it go to those on the pitch.

The fact that the likes of Bielsa, Leeds squad, Milner and Klopp have condemned it already shows me that the players and managers don't appear to want it either.

 

Players won't like it because at heart to be a good sportsman you have to like challenge and be really competitive.

 

I agree, 90% of them won't want it I reckon, but they'll always be the odd one that just wants to chase the money.

The one I'm interested to hear from is Harry Kane. I just can't see him sacrificing his national team for this but we shall see.

 

Just watched Perez on BBC and he basically says it’s not profitable to run a club and this was only option available to them to balance books.
In other words they’ve overspent and want to create this league to get their money back.

 

Exactly- they want to go back to the days of splashing out obscene amounts for likes of Ronaldo and reaping the revenues from it. If they lived within their means they would be an extremely healthy club.

 

Kick all six out,promote top six in the championship now job sorted we are up

 

Real Madrid have been reckless for decades with their "galactico" signings. That club were probably the one who drove transfer fee and player wage inflation more than any other. Once the international TV rights of the EPL really took off, the EPL took over the mantle with gusto.