2020/21 International Club Football Thread

[devo22]

also, I'd expect the Bayern/Flick era to come to an end pretty swiftly now. It's obvious that Flick absolutely hates Salihamidzic and that it doesn't make sense for him to carry on there. He'll do well with the German NT.

also pretty funny that Bayern finally have a great coach again and just can't help shooting themselves in the foot again. Basically sacrificing Flick for a guy like Salihamidzic is absolute nuts. I imagine they'll go for Nagelsmann but I doubt Leipzig will let him go this summer.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Bellingham righting the wrong of the last match is a poetic way to send City out. Looks like somehow Chelsea will be the last PL team standing.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Pretty harsh penalty there, but also really clumsy from Can to let it be a possibility.

[Bagor]

Tough luck having all them injuries to and having to play without their main defenders.



But credit to Real for getting it done.

[devo22]

obviously not an Arsenal fan, but seeing Lacazette, Pepe and Saka score goals against Slavia is extremely satisfying.

[cheevers]

Yeah easy to cheer for Arsenal against those wankers. Plus, even if you hate Arsenal, they will just blow it in another round in some sort of hilarious fashion.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by devo22

obviously not an Arsenal fan, but seeing Lacazette, Pepe and Saka score goals against Slavia is extremely satisfying.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by devo22

also, I'd expect the Bayern/Flick era to come to an end pretty swiftly now. It's obvious that Flick absolutely hates Salihamidzic and that it doesn't make sense for him to carry on there. He'll do well with the German NT.

also pretty funny that Bayern finally have a great coach again and just can't help shooting themselves in the foot again. Basically sacrificing Flick for a guy like Salihamidzic is absolute nuts. I imagine they'll go for Nagelsmann but I doubt Leipzig will let him go this summer.

Flick has just confirmed in a post-game interview that he wants to leave Bayern after the season.

[Senator Clay Davis]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1383773711065444359

[devo22]

these would be the 12:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1383783899680022533

[Senator Clay Davis]

More details...

Fifteen of Europe's biggest clubs are in talks to launch a European Super League, planned to start in time for the 2023-24 season, with a $6 billion (£4.3 billion) fund backing the project, sources have told ESPN.

If the initiative is successful, it would threaten the existence of the Champions League -- football's biggest club competition -- with UEFA due to announce on Monday a new 36-team format for the tournament designed to stave off attempts by the game's top clubs to break away.

As reported by The Times, English top-flight clubs Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are among 11 European teams to have signed up to the Super League plan.

ESPN has been told by a person familiar with the blueprint that the proposed framework involves a total of 20 teams, with 15 permanent members who cannot be relegated.

A further five teams will be rotated in and out of the competition, based on performance, but the permanent members will include six Premier League clubs, three from La Liga, three from Italy's Serie A, two from the Bundesliga and one from France's Ligue 1.

Sources have told ESPN that New York-based investment bank JP Morgan will underwrite the project, with $6 billion distributed as loans to the teams.

Under pressure from the European Club Association, UEFA has drawn up plans to reshape the Champions League format, with the new-look competition due to be unveiled Monday, ahead of UEFA's executive committee summit in Switzerland this week.

Planned to come into force in 2024, the remodelled Champions League would involve 36 teams playing 10 group games rather than six. The biggest clubs would also receive an increased share of prize money.

Sources told ESPN that UEFA plan to press ahead with their announcement Monday, and that any breakaway league remains a distant prospect, with national associations UEFA and FIFA both needing to sanction the proposal.

Meanwhile, Serie A called an emergency board meeting on Sunday to discuss a newspaper report saying broadcaster DAZN is involved in new plans for the breakaway league, a source told Reuters.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/uefa-champions-league/story/4363096/man-united-liverpool-among-clubs-in-$6-billion-european-super-league-talks-sources

[Slava]

It’s ridiculous. How in the world clubs like Arsenal or Tottenham are “super” in the first place is debatable. Maybe in years past, but not at this point. That’s just for starters though.

UEFA says that clubs will be expelled from domestic competition and their players won’t play internationally. That’s the dagger right there, I think.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Slava

UEFA says that clubs will be expelled from domestic competition and their players won’t play internationally. That’s the dagger right there, I think.

I mean, hopefully. I'll take any dagger that puts an end to this crap ...

[Slava]

Originally Posted by devo22

I mean, hopefully. I'll take any dagger that puts an end to this crap ...

I think they’re already not getting PSG/Bayern, so that’s not good. But players want to play internationally and of course clubs make a lot of money from the domestic competition. I just can’t see how this makes sense.

[devo22]

well, the owners are obiously banking on making more money from a global audience watching this Super League crap. And I have no doubt they'd pull in a lot more that way ... those matchups would interest a lot more people from overseas than a domestic match against the likes of Burnley, Getafe or Sampdoria. The owners simply don't care about domestic matchups and match-going fans.

an incredibly sad day for football if this passes.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Slava

It’s ridiculous. How in the world clubs like Arsenal or Tottenham are “super” in the first place is debatable. Maybe in years past, but not at this point. That’s just for starters though.

UEFA says that clubs will be expelled from domestic competition and their players won’t play internationally. That’s the dagger right there, I think.

It's not about current form, it's about the fanbases.

[GirlySports]

FIFA is bluffing. The World Cup would die if they banned those players. Not sure FIFA has the grounds to for example, not allow Canada to select Davies.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

https://twitter.com/user/status/1383773711065444359

I thought they abandoned this crap idea.

This is so stupid.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

FIFA is bluffing. The World Cup would die if they banned those players. Not sure FIFA has the grounds to for example, not allow Canada to select Davies.

Well one of them is doomed, but is it the Super League or the internationals? I think (hope) that once you have a few clubs that skip the super league that will kill it. But I also thought that this was over and apparently it’s back.

[The Big Chill]

It’s hard to imagine it will ever go away. There is a market for it and a lot of money at stake.