Good news and bad news - the bad news being UEFA/FIFA seem entrenched in a position of power whereas neither are fit for purpose and need radical reform to stop them ruining football, the current nightmare being FIFA's proposal to have ANOTHER tournament, this time of all top clubs in a summer tournament in the USA. So forget any rest time for players or reasonable compensation for the clubs who plough massive sums into finding and developing the players who FIFA want to use by just paying a few weeks of wages....... whilst generating billions which seems to go on their mates. Its a very corrupt set up.
-
The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...
Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports
Good news and bad news - the bad news being UEFA/FIFA seem entrenched in a position of power whereas neither are fit for purpose and need radical reform to stop them ruining football, the current nightmare being FIFA's proposal to have ANOTHER tournament, this time of all top clubs in a summer tournament in the USA. So forget any rest time for players or reasonable compensation for the clubs who plough massive sums into finding and developing the players who FIFA want to use by just paying a few weeks of wages....... whilst generating billions which seems to go on their mates. Its a very corrupt set up.
I think this is worse than the alternative personally. Football needs a shake up. If Qatar getting to host the World Cup didn't wake people up to the corruption though, then nothing will. Add that to UEFA's inability to reign in PSG and Man City, and soon Newcastle, with their financial doping and the appointment of the PSG owner high up at UEFA then really it is so widespread that there is little hope for many clubs.
At least Levy has wormed his way into the top table at the ECA so we have a little sway in things. Executive Board
Agree, UEFA is no better. Bloated with overpaid, faceless diplomats who do nothing (sounds familiar
)
I get the frustrations with UEFA and FIFA. I hate the corruption, the cynical promotion of values, and stupid ideas like an expanded World Cup.
However the solution is not to put clubs in charge. Because when we say “clubs” we don’t mean all clubs, we mean a very small handful of clubs owned by extremely powerful, self-interested people who will run the game for their own financial benefit rather than the good all of football. This isn’t fantasy, it’s exactly what the ESL was. That would be far worse than UEFA and FIFA.
Just as with Brexit, do NOT think that just because things are bad now they cannot get worse. They can and they will if you concentrate power into the hands of self-interested ideologues.
However the solution is not to put clubs in charge. Because when we say “clubs” we don’t mean all clubs, we mean a very small handful of clubs owned by extremely powerful, self-interested people who will run the game for their own financial benefit rather than the good all of football. This isn’t fantasy, it’s exactly what the ESL was. That would be far worse than UEFA and FIFA.
Just as with Brexit, do NOT think that just because things are bad now they cannot get worse. They can and they will if you concentrate power into the hands of self-interested ideologues.
I think that's the perfect way to describe UEFA/FIFA but I'd also add a comment on corruption.
So the real question is who do you have since neither some clubs or UEFA/FIFA can be trusted - is there some kind of Football/Sport regulator who can be created whose job will be to balance up interests of clubs, fans, footballers (ie Health and Safety re over playing) and competition organisers (including FIFA/UEFA) ?
The only other thought is a much broader range of clubs (including non top tier clubs across europe ) performing that kind of function
The body you’re looking for is UEFA / FIFA. The problem is it’s been corrupted. So we need to reform the institutions we have and that should start with national FAs forming coalitions to apply pressure.
So how do you reform them - its modus operandi is big handouts to small FA's in return for votes to perpetuate the current executives.
FIFA/UEFA are located in Switzerland whose law allows sporting organisations immunity from a wide variety of laws including those designed to counter corrupt practices, and any form of 'corporate governance' is optional.
Sadly the fact that the vast majority of the Executive Committee of FIFA responsible for award of Russia and Qatari world cups on corruption charges brought about by US using its laws regarding the US national currency has not reformed either body. Just shot a warning shot against the worst most venal executives
I don’t pretend to have the answers. But if you have a coalition of 7 or 8 big European FAs with a small number of others who make a list of demands founded on FAIRNESS and TRANSPARENCY rather than self-interest and you insist on them with the actual threat of leaving then I think you could make progress.
It’s important for the comms that fairness and transparency are front and centre.
Can you imagine a World Cup or à Euros without France, England, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium… Nordic countries would be in… ? A champions league without any of these countries’ clubs participating?
Crucially sponsors would see a vastly diminished competition and money talks.
Edit: conversely, if these countries aren’t in then you’ve got to ask yourself whether it’s really just uefa and fifa or whether all organised football is rotten to the core.
I hate how the Super league is being painted as evil by absolutely everyone................who would lose money if it happened.
The idea itself isn't great. But the simple fact of the matter is, the likes of Sky, BT etc are the reason we fans pay so much fucking money to watch football. They're bleeding money out of all of us and giving a chunk of it to our clubs.
Despite the flaws in the Super League, I'd rather pay Spurs to watch Spurs than Sky or BT
The idea itself isn't great. But the simple fact of the matter is, the likes of Sky, BT etc are the reason we fans pay so much fucking money to watch football. They're bleeding money out of all of us and giving a chunk of it to our clubs.
Despite the flaws in the Super League, I'd rather pay Spurs to watch Spurs than Sky or BT
To take a concrete example the European Clubs Association (ie the major european clubs) have objected to FIFA's proposal for a brand new summer tournament in USA for some 24 or 32 clubs.
Has it gone away ? No, FIFA are taking on board the points raised so as to review their first proposal !
Did you notice FIFA take any notice of objections of moving the Qatar World Cup from summer into middle of the european season ? No because sadly FIFA decided its decision to award the World Cup to Qatar took precedence
Its corrupt, self interested and beyond reform - unless accidentally a new chief is appointed who is above the FIFA crap. Sadly after all the FIFA top guys were jailed .... Infantino moved from UEFA to FIFA, one cess pit to the next.
No coalition in football, whether clubs or FA's) is strong enough to deal with the blood suckers that are FIFA and UEFA today.
I get where you are coming from. But I belive fully in the collective sale of rights. Football is great because of one thing COMPETITION. Breaking this up just turns us into Laliga, the doping is bad enough (there will never be another Lecister city) poat Man city, but the super league is not the answer.
Where is the competition for Fifa and Uefa?
Where is the competition for the TV companies and more to the point, how is that competition helping us fans?
Sky Sports costs me £30 a month roughly. I only watch SSN and Spurs. And not all our games are on it.
So i have to pay for BT Sport to only watch Spurs games and not all are on it.
So I have to pay for Amazon Prime (best value out of the lot tbh)
The day I can only pay to watch Spurs and it's a fair price that doesn't make me think I'm better off paying constantly for all content (IE now TV at £10 a game, if 3 games a month, the subscription makes more sense)
It's just designed to extract money from us with little benefit to us, especially as those same people are heavily bias to certain teams and agendas.
It will be like Fifa vs Pes on playstation. Gay as fuck.
Your preaching to the choir mate. I'd like all British football put back on free to air television. In fact its going in my manifesto. If Other broadcasters want to bankrupt themselves over the ECL let then have at it. But then I want to renationlise the Railways, gas, water, British nuclear fuel...oh Mousa Dembele
Your "season ticket" for spurs only is likely to be very high as they are then a monopoly. It will be bad for the competition as clubs will keep their own revenue and like it or not clubs around us are likely to be able to earn more than us and its a vicious circle as they will get better (more cash) meaning widening revenues.
I fear the day clubs are able to sell TV season tickets as the fairly equal distribution of local and foreign TV money is the only thing keeping the league a little competitive.
The Super League is a super-shitty idea. I regard it as maybe be the worst idea in my lifetime. That it’s being opposed by some shitty organizations doesn’t make it any less super-shitty. Opposition to something shitty doesn’t necessarily make it good.
My enemy’s enemy isn’t always my friend.
It is evil and would be the death blow for football.
I don't care if all my money suddenly goes in to Spurs' pocket if it means cutting off the rest of football & being the whipping boys of some elite club.
In fact I can't think of anything more depressing.
We pretty much are the whipping boys of the elite.
We pay TV companies a kings ransome and they take that money and put it in our rivals pockets.
Not only that, they put more in their pockets than ours, they launch campaigns to have our best players leave for their favourite clubs further widening the gap.
The entire football system is bent and nearly beyond repair.
Don't fool yourself into thinking the Super League is going to be the straw that breaks the donkeys back, it's already broken. It can't carry on lugging hay and will crash and die soon if it tries to carry on the way it is.
Like I said, I don't think it's a good idea.
But it is an idea. There needs to be shake up and the 2 current football superpowers/dictators need to be held accountable.
The game isn't in a good state.