'The time has come'

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/04/18/five-english-clubs-among-11-european-teams-preparing-form-breakaway/

A very interesting 24 hours!

Take a look at this article in the Telegraph, by the time you do things will have moved on and this will continue over the course of the day and weeks to come. Already as I write Manchester United have allegedly stepped down from the European Clubs Association.

If anyone who read my trilogy of articles on this platform about the future landscape of the football industry felt that I had overcooked it or over analysed it then today they would have been rudely awakened from their malaise in the ' it cant happen here' culture that pervades football. As the Walrus said ' the time has come'

If you look at the timeline in Jeremy Wilson's article in the Telegraph, go back to 2009 when Arsene Wenger said that a breakaway league would become reality in 10 years. It is taking longer and despite most pundits clamours it still does not exist. The timing of this becoming public is not a coincidence, it has historical precedent and has certainly got a reaction from the World's governing bodies. " slowly it starts" The scheduled meeting and announcement at UEFA regarding the revamp of the Champions League has clearly been affected. The vitriolic negative reaction from all quarters has certainly had the desired effect. The speed of reaction and the punitive nature of the dialogue has been instant. Why have the 'big twelve' taken this step now, what did they expect other than what has happened? Read Jason Burt's piece highlighted in this article. This is an excellent summary of the depth of feeling that transcends the game around this topic. The most interesting part of the article for me is when He says:

"Of course, as has happened in the past, there could well be a strong element of saber-rattling about the position taken by the powerful rebels and in any case we had reached a point of now or never for them. They will reason they had to make their move and it is the most aggressive and effective way of driving the changes that they want which, again, will undoubtedly settle on a bigger piece of the pie and more money for themselves."

This is spot on, while they of course want to monetise their appeal across the global game to grow their businesses and make a profit ( lets not hide from that) could this be a game of 'shock and awe' with explicit timing to create a pause? UEFA may announce the new CL Format as approved but that will not end the debate or the internal discussions. What good is a new Champions League without Europe's biggest clubs in it? In the past an uninspiring compromise has been reached only to be revisited again over time. Here we are again.

If nothing else, as a first step it has brought all of Europe's Federations together with UEFA and FIFA on one platform. The ECA may be devoid of a few members before the day is over but they too have stood shoulder to shoulder with UEFA thus far. Maybe the pause will get the right people round the table, maybe not immediately, although I cannot conceive that a situation exists where E mails and Video calls are not flying around the ether between all parties, maybe ' shock and awe ' will be followed by a moment of truce and a readjustment of the battle lines.

"The Uefa leadership is plotting its own combative fightback. It has been talking to the main European leagues and it will be pleased by the unified response. They can fight fire with fire and the threat of banishing teams from next season’s Champions League and the domestic leagues — the Premier League would have to sanction a European breakaway by six of its club — is real. Fifa also has to stick to its warning that players will be prevented from taking part in the World Cup if they go along with this." - Jason Burt.

Do the Premier League really want to deduct points and make a farce of a league table and fixture programme that has already been devastated by Covid 19 and have a historical Champion whose claim to fame came as a result of political will? Do they really expect that by taking that action it will solve the issue or implement the 'irreparable' damage that Richard Masters warns about? Do the National Federations really want to risk losing their best players to an independent circus? and does FIFA want a World Cup without the best players in the World?

There is a lot of rhetoric now but what of the future, how much has not been said?

If the big clubs are banned from domestic leagues what of their Youth Academies? Would young players be banned from representing their countries? Could you run an Academy within the system and a first team outside it? Do you get banned immediately upon making your debut? When you are transferred from a domestic league club to a breakaway club who manages the transfer, registers the player, who regulates the contracts? Is it feasible that players could leave a domestic league club on a free because they don't need a Federation regulated registration? What of independent referees? would all the best referees become highly paid independents? where does that leave the quality domestically.

All sides know that anarchy benefits no one. Knee jerk reactions will create anarchy. It is time to pause. " Direction is more important than speed" all elements and repercussions need to be considered and the whole game needs to benefit. We don't know enough and maybe independent facilitation needs to be looked at interesting statements by members of the the breakaway group need more explanation and clarity Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has allegedly said that he wants a League that will benefit the whole of the Pyramid and that has been somewhat echoed by Joel Glazer and others.

"Going forward, the Founding Clubs look forward to holding discussions with UEFA and FIFA to work together in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole." ( The Group)

"We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world," he said. "Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires." (Florentino Perez)

"We have come together at this critical moment, enabling European competition to be transformed, putting the game we love on a sustainable footing for the long-term future, substantially increasing solidarity, .... ( Andrea Agnelli )

 “By bringing together the world’s greatest clubs and players to play each other throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider football pyramid.” ( Joel Glazer )

Maybe 'football' should be asking them to elaborate on this, give them the opportunity to explain how this can achieve sustainability for all football, suggest caveats and ways to make this happen for the whole of football. How it can happen within the system and not independent of it.

"Football is on the threshold" as the Walrus said " The time has come" maybe it doesn't need battle lines and civil war maybe the Phoenix can rise without the need for ashes?

Les Reed