The featured image is a Tweet today from La Liga president Javier Tebas Medrano.
In the era of hyper–sanitised management speak, this hombre doesn’t miss:
Superliga is the wolf, which today is disguised as a granny to try to fool European football, but THEIR nose and THEIR teeth are too big, four divisions in Europe? Sure the first one for them, as in the 2019 reform. Club governance? Of course only the big ones.
Regular readers will know that I put questions to him last November at a press conference at the Web Summit in Lisbon.
I wanted his views on UEFA’s new Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSR).
It was clear from the outset that he was delighted to have been asked, and he let rip!
He was clear that the sports washing operations in England and PG were a danger to the long-term health of European football.
The Madrid media carried his answers to my questions the next day.
I was told this by the senior official who had accompanied Señor Tebas Medrano to the Web Summit.
Over lunch in the Portuguese capital, the La Liga guy gave me valuable background about how his organisation viewed this new venture.
After that meeting, there was no doubt that the Spanish football authorities were braced for impact on what finally dropped today.
This matter is currently with the European Court of Justice on the status of UEFA on whether or not they’re blocking the ESL is breaking competition law.
A ruling from the ECJ is expected in the spring.
My childhood was enriched with wonderfully unique European football moments conjured up by the happenstance of a unique sporting event.
This was football from another era, as it was a genuine sports contest.
Now we are in the world of sportswashing and state-funded clubs.
This issue was addressed at the Web Summit last year in a discussion with Miguel Delaney, Joey D’Urso and Rob Harris.
The section on Manchester City, remember this is last November, is particularly interesting given what has happened this week.
For all of its spin today, the ESL project seeks further to load the deck in favour of massively rich clubs, some funded by rather dodgy money.
I will certainly be hoping that the 15-member Grand Chamber finds for the organisation based in Nyon.
That outcome would make Señor Tebas muy contento.
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Interesting.
I remember explaining to my godson that, when I was his age, Nottingham Forest were European champions and, in an open draw, were drawn against their successors, Liverpool, in the first round and the losers would be out of Europe entirely, after two games.
He looked at me like I was off my head! 🤣 Fitba used to be so much better, in some ways. Fuck the Super League, and all who would sail with her!
The idea that financially stricken Barcelona and serially corrupt Juventus mighy be working with anyone else’s benefit in mind is laughable.
I saw a Super League proponent on the sports news tonight, I didn’t catch his name.
In the midst of his pitch he said that there were to many “inconsequential games”
as European football stands. I think a fair interpretation of this is what he really means is there are to many inconsequential team’s involved. They wont be happy til they have squeezed the last cent out of football and it’s fkd altogether.
Unlikely… but, if: this latest robber baron attempt to pirate Fitba’ gets up & running and CFC should join up…. I’M OUT…. right out!
Let’s face it: football sold its soul to TV many years ago.
Even us punters in Scotland have no influence whatsoever on KO times / days: TV dictates that.
UEFA & FIFA are also corrupt organisations, but they will ultimately be ‘out-corrupted’ by the big teams with deeper pockets – or with Sovereign Wealth Funds behind them.
With any luck Phil this’ll spark a renewed interest in the events of 2012. Madness has taken hold in that the biggest cheating scandal in all of British sports history has seen no-one properly prosecuted for it. It beggars belief.
I believe they will find for UEFA but that will not stop this nonsense from rearing it’s ugly head yet again.
If indeed there is a revision of 2012 dodgy dealings, those investigations be held outwith Scotland, stopping interference from anyone preferring Norwegian parrot blue as their favourite colour.
Keep up the great work Phil and thanks for the update too.
I hope you’re right – if they do want giv examples of the dangers of lack of sustainability controls and lack of FA governance, what better demonstration of this than Scottish football?