The Official 14/15 UEFA Champion's League and International Club News Thread

[cam_wmh]

And with all that in mind, $150million TV dollar game between boro & norwich comin up.

Is this not, the most lucrative single game in sports?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

And with all that in mind, $150million TV dollar game between boro & norwich comin up.

Is this not, the most lucrative single game in sports?

It is.

Just adding to the above League football in England is popular at all levels. TV deals in the Championship are also pretty good. In France and Italy when a big team goes down it hurt the brand because nobody really watches Ligue 2 or Serie B. In fact SuperMatt night know this. There's a team named Carpi that got promoted to Serie A for the fall. They are a town of 70000 and the stadium holds 4000. I believe this will really hurt Serie A to have such a small team in it.

In the EPL, having Bournemouth (relatively small team) there doesn't affect the brand there at all.

[sadora]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

If they can win the Copa del Rey it will be treble vs treble.

Juve already locked down Serie A, and the Italian Cup so they have that opportunity as well.

I was just thinking about this after Juve won the Coppa Italia and as a football fan this possibility makes the CL final even more exciting. Bilbao is never an easy team for Barcelona but I'm fairly certain that they can win the Copa del Rey. Treble vs Treble would be awesome to watch.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It doesn't make sense in the in the EPL, with the massive TV deals and good value there doesn't seem to be an issue with attracting investors for the top two leagues.

In France, and some where like Italy, it makes a little more sense.

The market is bad and teams are struggling to find investors for the mid to low tier teams.

A little more certainty that you will have a chance to stay in the top tier might help with investment (although the counter to that is less investment in the second league because lower chance of moving up).

Its a huge difference between the two and for a league like France that wants to grow, or Italy which wants to reclaim past glory I think it makes a lot of sense

the Championship is arguably the 5th biggest league in Europe, plus with the 3 years of parachute payments that come with it. Getting relegated isn't a death knell to finances at all.

[d_phaneuf]

Dissapointed in Xavi for going to Qatar, in interviews he always seemed like a smart guy

[sadora]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

Dissapointed in Xavi for going to Qatar, in interviews he always seemed like a smart guy

It makes sense though. There is no more room for him in the Barcelona lineup and while he is gonna play for another 2 years in Qatar, his new project will include involvement with Al-Sadd's youth system and an eventual move onto coaching, which in all likelihood will see him return to Barcelona in the future. Barcelona has huge ties with Qatar and though he will be away from the team this is yet another way to keep within the organization.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

There's a team named Carpi that got promoted to Serie A for the fall. They are a town of 70000 and the stadium holds 4000. I believe this will really hurt Serie A to have such a small team in it.

So a tiny club that manages to sort itself out, compete and win should yield to a large club that cannot sort its finances, compete and win because their presences hurts the Serie A? Large clubs trying to be super clubs is what hurt the Serie A and giving them additional rope to hang themselves might not work.

Admittedly, the landscape is different in England. The Championship is much stronger than other second divisions but can't this serve as an example? Instead of hedging your bets on the top flight, why not try to improve the entire pyramid.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by sadora

It makes sense though. There is no more room for him in the Barcelona lineup and while he is gonna play for another 2 years in Qatar, his new project will include involvement with Al-Sadd's youth system and an eventual move onto coaching, which in all likelihood will see him return to Barcelona in the future. Barcelona has huge ties with Qatar and though he will be away from the team this is yet another way to keep within the organization.

Yes but by playing there, he's just as bad as all the others who in doing so essentially say they support the 2022 world cup and the practices (aka slavery and slavery deaths) that go along with it

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Addick

So a tiny club that manages to sort itself out, compete and win should yield to a large club that cannot sort its finances, compete and win because their presences hurts the Serie A? Large clubs trying to be super clubs is what hurt the Serie A and giving them additional rope to hang themselves might not work.

Admittedly, the landscape is different in England. The Championship is much stronger than other second divisions but can't this serve as an example? Instead of hedging your bets on the top flight, why not try to improve the entire pyramid.

Its beyond repair. People will not watch lower league football. So the better of two poisons is to protect the big teams from becoming irrelevant.

Argentina has a different problem. Almost their entire 20 team divisio play in the capital Buenos Aires. How to solve the problem and get different teams from different areas of the country to be more relevant? Make the top division 30 teams.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Its beyond repair. People will not watch lower league football. So the better of two poisons is to protect the big teams from becoming irrelevant.

Hopefully this doesn't sound rude but that's absolute rubbish.

Lower league football has become irrelevant in other countries because it has been allowed to fade. The growing interest in non-league football in England is the result of growing discontent with the commercialization of the game yet it shows what can happen when the lower tiers are given attention and a bit of love. If Occupiers and Hipsters can pump life into non-league football, imagine what the moneymen can do?

If FAs don't want clubs to become irrelevant when they drop into a lower league, make the lower leagues relevant. It wouldn't be a quick and easy fix but it wouldn't be another cycle of the vicious circle either.

[devo22]

Welcome to Madrid, where finishing 2nd in the league and being among the last 4 in the CL gets you sacked.

ESPN FC ‏@ESPNFC
Real Madrid have sacked manager Carlo Ancelotti.

[nik-]

They brought in some pretty significant talent this year. The season was disappointing, especially since after a shaky start they went on an amazing run, only to have every possible trophy slip away. I also think the way they played in the two Juventus games sealed it.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Addick

Hopefully this doesn't sound rude but that's absolute rubbish.

Lower league football has become irrelevant in other countries because it has been allowed to fade. The growing interest in non-league football in England is the result of growing discontent with the commercialization of the game yet it shows what can happen when the lower tiers are given attention and a bit of love. If Occupiers and Hipsters can pump life into non-league football, imagine what the moneymen can do?

If FAs don't want clubs to become irrelevant when they drop into a lower league, make the lower leagues relevant. It wouldn't be a quick and easy fix but it wouldn't be another cycle of the vicious circle either.

I don't disagree but that is trying to undo decades of lower league unimportance. I don't think in England the lower leagues got love due to commercialism, it was through tradition and loyalty. I'm sure Tranmere Rovers fans got it from their dad who got it from their dad. The other countries have not been able to keep that lineage going.

Here are the Italian attendence figures. Gets pretty dire in Serie B.

http://www.european-football-statist...ttn/aveita.htm

[Addick]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I don't disagree but that is trying to undo decades of lower league unimportance.

Definitely. It would be hard but I think it would be well worth it.

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I don't think in England the lower leagues got love due to commercialism, it was through tradition and loyalty.

I was referring to the revival seen at clubs like Dulwich Hamlet who have gained fans that were turning away from League football due to the rampant commercialization of the sport. My point was that if a revival can start with the financial support of the little people, it can surely begin to flourish with further investment from those with large pockets.

[browna]

On the complete flip side of this small club/top tier talk, Newco/Sevco is down 3-1 to Motherwell after the first leg today of the SPL playoff (/play-in) at Ibrox.

[Quis_Separabit]

Originally Posted by browna

On the complete flip side of this small club/top tier talk, Newco/Sevco is down 3-1 to Motherwell after the first leg today of the SPL playoff (/play-in) at Ibrox.

Yawn

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by Quis_Separabit

Yawn

Funny, there was a user called Scottish Flame that used to get all upset and reply with yawn whenever Sports Direct were mentioned.

He got banned for being a complete intolerant sectarian bigot. Shame in a way because his ignorance and narrow mindedness were entertaining in a sad pathetic sort of way.

Anyways, just pointing out the coincidence. Oh, and I'm sure it's just a harmless mistake but google images of your username points towards a sectarian murderous group. That's a strange coincidence too, come to think of it?

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Funny, there was a user called Scottish Flame that used to get all upset and reply with yawn whenever Sports Direct were mentioned.

He got banned for being a complete intolerant sectarian bigot. Shame in a way because his ignorance and narrow mindedness were entertaining in a sad pathetic sort of way.

Anyways, just pointing out the coincidence. Oh, and I'm sure it's just a harmless mistake but google images of your username points towards a sectarian murderous group. That's a strange coincidence too, come to think of it?

Entertaining indeed! Remember this gem?

Originally Posted by scottish_flame

I still wish Suarez was playing for Liverpool. The premiership is a poorer leagie without him

Oh, and lives in Lethbridge too, just like that other intolerant fella.

[Quis_Separabit]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Funny, there was a user called Scottish Flame that used to get all upset and reply with yawn whenever Sports Direct were mentioned.

He got banned for being a complete intolerant sectarian bigot. Shame in a way because his ignorance and narrow mindedness were entertaining in a sad pathetic sort of way.

Anyways, just pointing out the coincidence. Oh, and I'm sure it's just a harmless mistake but google images of your username points towards a sectarian murderous group. That's a strange coincidence too, come to think of it?

Sports direct is even worse patter. Do we call all clubs by their sponsors now ?

Quis Separabit was a motto used by the British army.

[Quis_Separabit]

Falkirk are playing Inverness in the Scottish cup final.

Interesting fact that falkirk have won the cup 3 times and Aston Villa won the cup the same year