Europe's biggest football clubs will "kill off domestic football" if they push ahead with the idea for a European Super League.
That's the stark warning from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as he took aim at recirculating reports that clubs dominating their leagues across the continent could attempt to create a whole new competition only for the elite.
Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge denied reports last year that his club was behind the Super League bid.
But rumours refuse to go away that owners across the elite clubs want the breakaway league on top of the Champions League to further boost their bank balances.
German magazine Der Spiegel and European Investigative Collaborations, a network of international media, said in November last year they have seen leaked documents about a new 16-team league that will be formed without the auspices of UEFA.
It was said to involve top clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester United , Juventus and Bayern Munich with five English clubs in the mix and none of the original members who join the league will be able to be relegated for
No Scottish sides or clubs from similar sized leagues were involved.
Now Guardiola has warned the game as we know it could die if the plans were ever to come to fruition.
Speaking to Catalan newspaper Ara, Guardiola said: "I do not agree much with the idea. Someone should explain to me.
"If it happens we'll kill the leagues.
"If Barca and Madrid go and they do not play against Espanyol, who will follow the league? The Spanish league will die.
"In England they are very intelligent, the grounds of the fourth division are full. England will not let this essence of local football die.
"Part of the greatness of the Champions League is that it is not every Sunday. If games were every week it would lose its charm.
"If we kill the domestic leagues, nobody will be interested in watching teams that do not have the chance to go to the European league."
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/pep-guardiola-slaughters-euro-superleague-17283555
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Maybe this explains why Bayern keep talking about us and are trying to unsettle some of our players.
I assume Pep speaks for the club when he says he's against a superleague, the Kaiser won't like that.
European Superleague
posted on 30/6/19
comment by Idontlikemondays (U6377)
posted 1 minute ago
Then they wouldn't be allowed to play in the Champions League,apparently they want their Super League AND the Champions League
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UEFA would cave in to whatever Barca, Madrid, Bayernm Juventus, PSG and whatever English clubs are involved in no time then
posted on 30/6/19
Won't work.. it's a fantasy plan where any club that joins will ultimately regret it
posted on 1/7/19
This idea has been around since the early 2000s.
posted on 1/7/19
comment by CurrentlyInChina (U11181)
posted 5 hours, 40 minutes ago
This idea has been around since the early 2000s.
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it's been around longer than that; the European Cup format was changed to the champions league in order to placate the G14 group of clubs who were threatening a breakaway European superleague in the late 80s/early 90s.
It was only a matter of time before they decided even that wasn't enough money for them.
posted on 1/7/19
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 10 hours, 19 minutes ago
What's that got to do with being against a closed shop?
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Ignore him, the guy can't join a debate without wumming and then acting if he is a genuine poster.
posted on 1/7/19
comment by Idontlikemondays (U6377)
posted 10 hours, 8 minutes ago
"But rumours refuse to go away that owners across the elite clubs want the breakaway league on top of the Champions League to further boost their bank balances"
"German magazine Der Spiegel and European Investigative Collaborations, a network of international media, said in November last year they have seen leaked documents about a new 16-team league that will be formed without the auspices of UEFA".
How would these clubs qualify for the Champions League if they created a closed shop Super League without the auspices of UEFA?
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UEFA pays millions to CL teams, who is going to pay those millions if they have a League wihtout UEFA involved? The gates wont cover that by a long shot. They need to get sponsors in. That would be a challenge on its own.
posted on 1/7/19
Pep is entirely correct.
posted on 1/7/19
It will be the usual cartel of clubs that think themselves too big to worry about actually being good enough to win their own league, and those who want only money.
posted on 1/7/19
But rumours refuse to go away that owners across the elite clubs want the breakaway league on top of the Champions League to further boost their bank balances.
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So they want a champions league league and the champions league
posted on 1/7/19
Businesses trying to make money. Shock.