Views/Opinions On The European Super League

There has been no blog entry from me for some time because I have been busy. Just as when I wanted to write something to analyse Manchester United’s wins over Tottenham Hotspur, Granada and Burnley as well as Inter’s draw against Napoli, the football world was turned upside down with the announcement of the European Super League. If you are a football/soccer fan, you cannot escape it. The news and its backlash are all over social media. While this League only lasted 48 or 72 hours depending on your geographical position, it continues to gather attention.

Embarrassment & Disappointment

On my part, as a Manchester United and Inter fan, it is embarrassing and immensely disappointing to find out that both my clubs were part of the 12 football clubs that had agreed to join this Super League. I felt on Monday like football had died, a passion that I had carried with me for 30 years this year has been wiped out in just one instant. It sounds dramatic but I thought to myself, “How would I be able to face up to these clubs and support them weekly like I used to do?” Thankfully, it never got to that stage as both clubs withdrew just before either could play their first match since its announcement.

The Glazers

On Manchester United’s part, we always knew the Glazers family are not football people. They don’t care too much about the fans and the sport. All they care about is the money they stand to gain. We were already upset with them due to the lack of significant, quality investment into the playing staff as well as the infrastructure in and around Old Trafford. This saga brought the relationship to a new low. The complete disregard for our heritage, prestige, history and sentiment was confirmed with this one move.

Greedy English Clubs

On the part of the English clubs, one common denominator amongst them is greed. The English Premier League is the richest in the world but yet they joined this elitist league so that they can get richer. It’s in poor taste especially since the world is grappling with the effects of the pandemic. The football industry is suffering too but there is still an obscene amount of money involved in the industry in the top leagues. It’s the leagues below the top tier that are suffering the most due to the pandemic.

Inter

For Inter, I can understand why they would want to join this League. The Suning Group and Giuseppe Moratta have done a great job since the former’s takeover and the latter’s appointment. But since the pandemic hit, the Suning Group has struggled tremendously. It is well-known that they are looking for investors so I can see why agreeing to this League could be seen as a lucrative way to ease the financial burden on the club. But I wished that they had decided from the start to stay away from this project and find other ways to ease the financial burden.

Non-English Clubs’ Possible Motive

Inter’s predicament is mirrored by most of the other non-English clubs that agreed to join this project except maybe Juventus and Real Madrid. Juventus have been portraying this image of having got everything figured out and sorted, a club without debts. Real Madrid is at least one of the three richest clubs in the world, if not the richest. I am sure the pandemic has affected their finances like everyone else. They might also be running in debt but surely they don’t need this to sustain. Another factor I understand is that the TV rights in England put clubs in the English Premier League head and shoulders above the rest of the Big 5 Leagues in Europe. Which is why the non-English teams would see this as a mean to cope with the financial disparity.

Elitist Message

However, you cannot run away from the elitist message the formation of this League is sending out to the rest. The statements coming from the main catalysts, Juventus’ Andrea Agnelli and Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez reek of elitist arrogance. The thought that each season only this select group of teams have the right to contest for their respective league titles and thus should just play against each other in midweek European competition is just sick. The thought that these elite teams playing each other in midweek make for more entertaining TV than say a Manchester United vs CSKA Moscow or Juventus vs Porto or Ajax vs Real Madrid is appalling.

Meritocracy In Football

If my teams deserve it, they should progress to the Champions League or Europa League or not qualify at all. When in Europe, I want to see my team tested against teams that are not as fancy and the big teams alike. In my 30 years as a supporter, I have been on the wrong end of shocks and surprises. I like that to remain because that is the beauty of football. Anyone can beat anyone. Moreover, football has progressed so much nowadays that you don’t get as many big thrashings in European competition. The playing field is levelling up.

Football is a sport and no one has a right over it. The club that does well on the field of play should be the champion and should advance to European competition regardless of status. The fairytale of Leicester City winning the league or someone outside this elite group like Valencia, Deportivo La Coruna, Lazio and Roma winning their league or Porto winning the Champions League should never be a thing of the past. Football is getting obscenely rich. I agree that it is a business as well and it should remain as such but the business needs to be regulated better to keep in line with the reality of the society. Football is a sport for all, the rich and the poor and there have been many stories of players from a humble past and poor beginnings striving and succeeding to be professional footballers breaking away from poverty. That dream should never be taken away.

UEFA, FIFA & Other Institutions Are Part Of The Problem

On the back of this announcement, UEFA, FIFA, the respective leagues and governments were quick to condemn it but they are also part of the problem. Nothing was regulated. The rich were getting richer, the poor were getting poorer and these institutions were also getting richer. I don’t have a problem that as a business, the clubs and these football institutions make their profits to sustain and grow. However, the money earned should not just be kept mostly in UEFA and FIFA while the rest get a trickle of that amount. This episode should force these institutions to take stock as well of where football has come to and what it needs to return to normality in line with society.

Wrong Message To Children

I don’t buy the argument that to make football interesting for kids, you need to show them Manchester United vs Real Madrid or Barcelona vs Juventus and matches of that ilk weekly. That is just sending the wrong message to them. They should be taught that matches are won on the pitch regardless of the reputation, size or prestige of an opponent. They should be taught that matches are won on the pitch and no one has a divine right to contest in the biggest competition.

 

 

Easier & Affordable Access To Matches For Everyone

Instead, these institutions should find a way to make access to football matches easier and more affordable for everyone. Moreover, interest in football like everything in life is either ingrained into you or you just grow to like it or dislike it. You can shove a high-quality match down the throat of a child but if he doesn’t like it, he doesn’t like it. There is nothing you can do about it.

Future From The Fallout of European Super League

It will be interesting to see if UEFA, the English Premier League, Serie A and La Liga punishes the 12 clubs and/or the individuals behind the formation of the European Super League. What would they decide to do to counter the European Super League? I feel an extensive dialogue of transparency and honesty will serve all parties well here. Hopefully, we will get overall a better product of football at the end of this dialogue.