ECJ verdict on UEFA vs Superleague

[R24]

As someone who used to watch a fair bit of Euroleague, that system is 10 times more boring then UEFA's, not to mention it makes the regular league less exciting as well.

Even with 2 clubs relegated and promoted, it's still gonna become stale very quickly, the current UEFA system isn't perfect but at least it makes every tournament have a decent amount of difference in teams from the previous, as well as it keeps the competitiveness in the leagues higher.

This might give clubs higher profits, but the average viewer may lose interest, especially for clubs who aren't in the gold league, but are often in the CL, they might lose profits AND lose on fan interest.

[Tazmania]

Also don't overlook a fundamental flaw of A22's SL proposal: performance in domestic competitions is irrelevant to the top two SL divisions. A club can have a poor season domestically but providing it does not finish bottom of its eight-club SL group it will stay in that SL division for the following season.

It is obvious that this will have a significant negative effect on domestic competitions.

[babaluj1]

In general, it is positive that the UEFA monopoly that lasted for 69 years has been destroyed. Some new leagues will definitely be created in Europe in the next 5 to 10 years, because there are a lot of dissatisfied clubs.

I can't see any positives in case football gets into a basketball-style chaos.
This will lead to a lot more "dissatisfied clubs" than nowadays.

It is good for the clubs to earn as much as possible, that's the only way they can progress and buy better players. It is a great thing for all fans around the world to be able to watch their clubs, but also the strongest clubs in the world, for free on a digital platform. In addition, as many as 64 clubs will play in the European Super League, which means that many clubs that could not make it to the Conference League will now get the chance to play a minimum of 14 international matches during the season, thereby earning huge sums of money.
Monopoly was never good anywhere. In boxing, there are as many as 5 organizations for the title of world champion, and this is an advantage for boxers, as well as for boxing fans, because there are more matches. Those who are not interested in the European Super League should not watch it, the same applies to UEFA leagues. We all have a choice, both clubs and fans, and the reality is that everyone will follow both competitions, depending on which matches they want to see.

[Tazmania]

The promise made by A22 to make the SL games available free-to-air is further reason to be distrustful of them; all the commercial experts I have read since Thursday's decision say that such an arrangement is unsustainable.

[Eurocity]

It is good for the clubs to earn as much as possible, that's the only way they can progress and buy better players. It is a great thing for all fans around the world to be able to watch their clubs, but also the strongest clubs in the world, for free on a digital platform. In addition, as many as 64 clubs will play in the European Super League, which means that many clubs that could not make it to the Conference League will now get the chance to play a minimum of 14 international matches during the season, thereby earning huge sums of money.

I can't see how clubs that don't make it into 108-club UEFA GS can miraculously get into a 64-team SL.

Monopoly was never good anywhere. In boxing, there are as many as 5 organizations for the title of world champion, and this is an advantage for boxers, as well as for boxing fans, because there are more matches.

So they even don't know who is the current boxing champion, since there can be as many as 5 "champions" in each of 10 or so weight categories )) thank god I'm not a boxing fan ))

[babaluj1]

It is good for the clubs to earn as much as possible, that's the only way they can progress and buy better players. It is a great thing for all fans around the world to be able to watch their clubs, but also the strongest clubs in the world, for free on a digital platform. In addition, as many as 64 clubs will play in the European Super League, which means that many clubs that could not make it to the Conference League will now get the chance to play a minimum of 14 international matches during the season, thereby earning huge sums of money.

I can't see how clubs that don't make it into 108-club UEFA GS can miraculously get into a 64-team SL.

Monopoly was never good anywhere. In boxing, there are as many as 5 organizations for the title of world champion, and this is an advantage for boxers, as well as for boxing fans, because there are more matches.

So they even don't know who is the current boxing champion, since there can be as many as 5 "champions" in each of 10 or so weight categories )) thank god I'm not a boxing fan ))

You are bad at math, 108+ 64=172 It is not possible to play UEFA leagues and Superliga at the same time because they are played on the same days. Due to the privileges of direct places in the GS and the privileges of the champions of small countries, the UEFA qualification system is quite messed up. It is easier to pass the ECL group than to qualify for the ECL group through qualifications for non-champions.
It is enough to look at the Croatian HNL, where the first-placed Hajduk and the second-placed Rijeka were eliminated this season in the ECL qualifiers by PAOK and Lille, while the currently third-placed, never worse Dinamo, entered the ECL with a series of defeats against AEK and Sparta, defeating only weak Astana.
In the ECL group, Dinamo was again outclassed by the Czech Viktoria with 2 defeats, but passed the group because the group again had weak Astana and Kosovo's Ballkani. Should we mention that Dinamo, Astana and Ballkani reached the ECL GS through a privileged path for champions?
The same things happen in the UEFA CL, where privileged clubs without qualifications enter the GS and win the last places. There must be no privilege in sport, if you want the best to surface. That's why the Superliga will be fairer and stronger than the UEFA leagues!
​

[Overgame]

The promise made by A22 to make the SL games available free-to-air is further reason to be distrustful of them; all the commercial experts I have read since Thursday's decision say that such an arrangement is unsustainable.

1) When they say "free", it doesn't mean that they won't sell the TV rights, it just means that they'll provide one free alternative.
2) Now imagine that the free alternative is streaming on their website, with only commentary in english (and they're not even good), with adds during games (similar to Twitch or Youtube), etc.
3) On the other hand, they provide a paid subscription service, of higher quality, without adds and more langages, with perhaps some geographical restrictions, similar to F1 TV.

A22 is a marketting company. So you can always wonder what is the catch.

[shizzle787]

This Super League will not happen. Only Real Madrid and Barcelona are supporting it. 2 clubs does not a Super League make. Also, several European governments are against this. It's dead in the water. It may lead to further changes in the Champions League from 2027, but that is about it.

[Eurocity]

You are bad at math, 108+ 64=172 It is not possible to play UEFA leagues and Superliga at the same time because they are played on the same days. Due to the privileges of direct places in the GS and the privileges of the champions of small countries, the UEFA qualification system is quite messed up. It is easier to pass the ECL group than to qualify for the ECL group through qualifications for non-champions.

You are not very good in logic ) If some team is not good enough to reach current UEFA GS, how on Earth can it get into a way smaller SL? )) or do you believe some magician will produce SL-wildcards for say Rijeka and Hajduk?

It is enough to look at the Croatian HNL, where the first-placed Hajduk and the second-placed Rijeka were eliminated this season in the ECL qualifiers by PAOK and Lille, while the currently third-placed, never worse Dinamo, entered the ECL with a series of defeats against AEK and Sparta, defeating only weak Astana. In the ECL group, Dinamo was again outclassed by the Czech Viktoria with 2 defeats, but passed the group because the group again had weak Astana and Kosovo's Ballkani. Should we mention that Dinamo, Astana and Ballkani reached the ECL GS through a privileged path for champions?

Dinamo happens to be the Croatian champion. With distance of 10 points to Hajduk and 32 points to Rijeka in the 2023 final standing. And this was the case for several years. So yes, they have earned their privilege. If you feel this is not fair, you should change something inside Croatia, not in UEFA, to make Croatian league more competitive.
And in the current standing, Dinamo only lost 1 more point than the leader Hajduk, so your claim about them being "third-placed" is meaningless. This is in fact not their best season, but others are no better.

The same things happen in the UEFA CL, where privileged clubs without qualifications enter the GS and win the last places. There must be no privilege in sport, if you want the best to surface. That's why the Superliga will be fairer and stronger than the UEFA leagues!

We still haven't heard anything about qualification to SL, so your claim about it being fairer is groundless.

[emortal]

You are bad at math, 108+ 64=172 It is not possible to play UEFA leagues and Superliga at the same time because they are played on the same days. Due to the privileges of direct places in the GS and the privileges of the champions of small countries, the UEFA qualification system is quite messed up. It is easier to pass the ECL group than to qualify for the ECL group through qualifications for non-champions.
It is enough to look at the Croatian HNL, where the first-placed Hajduk and the second-placed Rijeka were eliminated this season in the ECL qualifiers by PAOK and Lille, while the currently third-placed, never worse Dinamo, entered the ECL with a series of defeats against AEK and Sparta, defeating only weak Astana.
In the ECL group, Dinamo was again outclassed by the Czech Viktoria with 2 defeats, but passed the group because the group again had weak Astana and Kosovo's Ballkani. Should we mention that Dinamo, Astana and Ballkani reached the ECL GS through a privileged path for champions?
The same things happen in the UEFA CL, where privileged clubs without qualifications enter the GS and win the last places. There must be no privilege in sport, if you want the best to surface. That's why the Superliga will be fairer and stronger than the UEFA leagues!

If Dinamo is worse, how come they won the league last year?

Participation in the UEFA leagues will always depend on previous years results, not current form.
And this will be true in any other competition as well.

If anything, it'll be worse in case of an ESL for Hajduk/Rijeka.

Now all they have to do is win the league (i.e. prove they're better than Dinamo) and they'll reap the reward of better CL/EL/ECL ticket.
All they have to do is be consistently good and they'll get better seeding as well.

In the ESL system Dinamo will practically never fall out of, especially not in favour of Hajduk or Rijeka.
I bet that the ESL "ceo" will find a way to game the criteria to keep Dinamo in, regardless of merit.
Be it "wild card" participation spots, stadium criteria to keep the "undesirables" out, etc.

Just look at what happened in basketball "euroleague".

[krdel]

In basketball the likes of Rijeka and Hajduk founded a regional league, which is basically the best league to watch, it is private (run by JTD Adriatic Assocciation, independent of FIBA) and also open (the last team is relegated). The winner even has access to the EL.

Also there are combined more than 70 teams in top european competitions (18 in Euroleague and more than 50 in Champions league). I hope we get something similar in football.

[Tazmania]

The promise made by A22 to make the SL games available free-to-air is further reason to be distrustful of them; all the commercial experts I have read since Thursday's decision say that such an arrangement is unsustainable.

1) When they say "free", it doesn't mean that they won't sell the TV rights, it just means that they'll provide one free alternative.
2) Now imagine that the free alternative is streaming on their website, with only commentary in english (and they're not even good), with adds during games (similar to Twitch or Youtube), etc.
3) On the other hand, they provide a paid subscription service, of higher quality, without adds and more langages, with perhaps some geographical restrictions, similar to F1 TV.

A22 is a marketting company. So you can always wonder what is the catch.

Yes, there will be a catch to it, hence it being a reason - among several - to be mistrustful of them.

[emortal]

In basketball the likes of Rijeka and Hajduk founded a regional league, which is basically the best league to watch, it is private (run by JTD Adriatic Assocciation, independent of FIBA) and also open (the last team is relegated). The winner even has access to the EL.

Also there are combined more than 70 teams in top european competitions (18 in Euroleague and more than 50 in Champions league). I hope we get something similar in football.

Following this ECJ verdict there's nothing keeping Hajduk and Rijeka FCs to create their own "Football Adriatic League".

Heck, given football federations don't object, there was nothing keeping them from doing it before either.

There was talk a few years back to create a united "Balkan" league by merging the top teams of Greece/Serbia/Bulgaria/Romania/Cyprus.
That was absolutely feasible if the federations wanted to (turns out they didn't).

Obviously in that case, you'd be merging the UEFA spots as well.

I.e. UEFA would have to treat this new league as a "country/federation" with its own coefficient/access spots/etc.

[amenina]

In basketball the likes of Rijeka and Hajduk founded a regional league, which is basically the best league to watch, it is private (run by JTD Adriatic Assocciation, independent of FIBA) and also open (the last team is relegated). The winner even has access to the EL.

Also there are combined more than 70 teams in top european competitions (18 in Euroleague and more than 50 in Champions league). I hope we get something similar in football.

Following this ECJ verdict there's nothing keeping Hajduk and Rijeka FCs to create their own "Football Adriatic League".

Heck, given football federations don't object, there was nothing keeping them from doing it before either.

There was talk a few years back to create a united "Balkan" league by merging the top teams of Greece/Serbia/Bulgaria/Romania/Cyprus.
That was absolutely feasible if the federations wanted to (turns out they didn't).

Obviously in that case, you'd be merging the UEFA spots as well.

I.e. UEFA would have to treat this new league as a "country/federation" with its own coefficient/access spots/etc.

There used to be the BeNe League, a combined women’s football league of Belgium and the Netherlands between 2012 and 2015, with support from both federations and UEFA. The highest-placed Belgian and Dutch clubs would then separately qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League to represent their FA.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeNe_League

[Eurocity]

Also there are combined more than 70 teams in top european competitions (18 in Euroleague and more than 50 in Champions league). I hope we get something similar in football.

Not quite true. Given the existence of Euroleague and Eurocup, I doubt that CL can be considered as top competition. Some countries send their second-best (= non-Euroleague) teams to Eurocup, some to CL. Some clubs qualify through regional leagues, not national leagues.
Overall European basketball has become a total mess, with rules, competition structure, qualification and everything else changing all the time. And no neutral fans watch anything except parts of Euroleague.