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Benelux superleague


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4 hours ago, Orraloon said:

Not sure where the "lux" bit comes in. Maybe they are just there to launder the cash?:lol:

"A new Benelux competition would most likely involve nine teams from each of Belgium and the Netherlands. It is also possible that there could be a second division, with sides from Luxembourg included."

Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dutch-belgian-football-superleague-cross-border-uefa-proposal/

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In the past I would have been dead against this but the way football is moving I feel it is needed or big clubs from smaller countries will be nowhere to challenge in European competition.  Names like Ajax, PSV, Feyennord, Bruges, Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Benfica etc are 2nd or 3rd rate now.

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Just now, Alan said:

In the past I would have been dead against this but the way football is moving I feel it is needed or big clubs from smaller countries will be nowhere to challenge in European competition.  Names like Ajax, PSV, Feyennord, Bruges, Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Benfica etc are 2nd or 3rd rate now.

Totally agree Alan 

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1 hour ago, Alan said:

In the past I would have been dead against this but the way football is moving I feel it is needed or big clubs from smaller countries will be nowhere to challenge in European competition.  Names like Ajax, PSV, Feyennord, Bruges, Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Benfica etc are 2nd or 3rd rate now.

But what’s to then stop “the big 5” creating a cross border super league?

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1 hour ago, Alan said:

In the past I would have been dead against this but the way football is moving I feel it is needed or big clubs from smaller countries will be nowhere to challenge in European competition.  Names like Ajax, PSV, Feyennord, Bruges, Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Benfica etc are 2nd or 3rd rate now.

Aberdeen aren't even third rate now. Its been ten years since we got recognition for anything we did in Europe

2 minutes ago, ibelieve!!! said:

But what’s to then stop “the big 5” creating a cross border super league?

good point and I do but I'm not sure how that would work, two leagues where the two country's in question are joined together and very small in terms of land mass will be easy to impliment but how would you implement 5 countries who's top divisions have 20 each?

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On Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 3:44 PM, euan2020 said:

"A new Benelux competition would most likely involve nine teams from each of Belgium and the Netherlands. It is also possible that there could be a second division, with sides from Luxembourg included."

Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dutch-belgian-football-superleague-cross-border-uefa-proposal/

Luxembourg could be one of the main beneficiaries. Over time you'd expect one or two of their teams to become more competitive. 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

It will be interesting to see what happens here. While I really don't want to breakup the national element of the league system, it's the only way that mid-tier leagues could compete against with the top leagues. It'll probably enable more money to come from TV, whilst being of a higher standard than either nations league at present.

The European places will be something to look out for, should it happen - would UEFA treat Belgium and the Netherlands as a single entity when dealing with the qualifying places, or would they allow for both to continue in the same way despite both having a single league. The latter was used for the women's league (which only lasted for three seasons), where the best placed team from each country would qualify for Europe.

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And a super league for the (financial) giants of Europe is indeed now being touted.

So a major shake up could be on its way.

If inter-national premier league's start happening, then Scotland would have to consider options too. Perhaps a Celtic League (but not with that name!!) would be possible as per rugby...Scotland, Wales & both Irelands...Wales certainly has a couple of big clubs, perhaps two or three could emerge in Ireland under a joint lge.

As suggested already, a Scandinavian lge seems obvious, Balkans, etc etc.

As for UEFA club competitions, as said above, go by highest placing for each nation's clubs seems simple enough.

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8 minutes ago, buckielugger said:

And a super league for the (financial) giants of Europe is indeed now being touted.

So a major shake up could be on its way.

If inter-national premier league's start happening, then Scotland would have to consider options too. Perhaps a Celtic League (but not with that name!!) would be possible as per rugby...Scotland, Wales & both Irelands...Wales certainly has a couple of big clubs, perhaps two or three could emerge in Ireland under a joint lge.

As suggested already, a Scandinavian lge seems obvious, Balkans, etc etc.

As for UEFA club competitions, as said above, go by highest placing for each nation's clubs seems simple enough.

Let these teams get on with it I say, it's been obvious for some time that they have been working towards an American style system with play offs and franchises. These teams are now so far removed from the communities that helped get them where they are today, David Conn wrote an article in the Guardian this week about Tottenhams new stadium that perfectly encapsulates the disdain that these clubs have for their local communities, all in pursuit of making a handful of people as rich as possible.

Competition, rivalry and trophies is no longer the focus for these big clubs, it's all about making money and it's been clear for sometime. I also don't see the benefit of balkans, scandanivian, celtic leagues etc, all you're doing is copying what these teams are doing, all be it on a smaller scale but with the same disdain for their fans. 

The only way this might be stopped is if fans of these clubs stand up and make it clear they don't want this too happen and even then that might not be enough. Scottish football might not be the best in the world and we have been left behind on many fronts, but there is still that connection between all the clubs and the fans and thats something that you cannot manufacture on Saturday afternoon game in Minnesota between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

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2 hours ago, buckielugger said:

If inter-national premier league's start happening, then Scotland would have to consider options too. Perhaps a Celtic League (but not with that name!!) would be possible as per rugby...Scotland, Wales & both Irelands...Wales certainly has a couple of big clubs, perhaps two or three could emerge in Ireland under a joint lge.

Can't see Cardiff and Swansea wanting to say bye to the English league megabucks. 

 

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3 hours ago, buckielugger said:

And a super league for the (financial) giants of Europe is indeed now being touted.

So a major shake up could be on its way.

If inter-national premier league's start happening, then Scotland would have to consider options too. Perhaps a Celtic League (but not with that name!!) would be possible as per rugby...Scotland, Wales & both Irelands...Wales certainly has a couple of big clubs, perhaps two or three could emerge in Ireland under a joint lge.

As suggested already, a Scandinavian lge seems obvious, Balkans, etc etc.

As for UEFA club competitions, as said above, go by highest placing for each nation's clubs seems simple enough.

A Celtic league would not push our game on one bit. The teams from the other nations are not good enough (even the Motherwell Colt team comfortably best Sligo rovers) and do not have the clout to make the league any more interesting than the SPL is now

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2 hours ago, Toepoke said:

Can't see Cardiff and Swansea wanting to say bye to the English league megabucks. 

 

The irony being, that with their current status, money and players, they might be an enhancement to the game here, but by leaving, they wouldn't so much.  

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2 hours ago, Toepoke said:

Can't see Cardiff and Swansea wanting to say bye to the English league megabucks. 

True, Wrexham and Newport may be interested though - albeit they'll not be of the ability of really improve the top end of the league (at least initially).

1 hour ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

A Celtic league would not push our game on one bit. The teams from the other nations are not good enough (even the Motherwell Colt team comfortably best Sligo rovers) and do not have the clout to make the league any more interesting than the SPL is now

I know that Dundalk and Shamrock have made the group stages of the Europa League in the past ten years or so, which is more than can be said for our clubs (non-Old Firm). I don't know how much of a factor the Irish league schedule (calendar year) would affect that though.

If you took Celtic out of our UEFA coefficient ranking (which determines European places), we'd only be three places above Ireland. The top Irish sides may be able to compete with our mid-to-lower end top flight sides initially, while having the potential to grow in the future - with increased revenue through ticket sales - due to playing against sides like Celtic/Rangers and with increased supporter bases due to playing higher profile matches - and through a comparatively higher TV deal than they would receive now.

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1 hour ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

A Celtic league would not push our game on one bit. The teams from the other nations are not good enough (even the Motherwell Colt team comfortably best Sligo rovers) and do not have the clout to make the league any more interesting than the SPL is now

I see what you mean but I think the suggestion was not to envisaging teams like Sligo as they are now, but beefed up 'Celtic nation' city teams that would be run, managed, financed etc on the basis of being in a 'super league' of sorts. If a Dublin team and a Belfast team were included, for a start. Teams that might even wean people off supporting EPL sides.  

The parallel could be like club rugby in Scotland, where before it might be hard to imagine teams like West of Scotland or Linlithgow competing with your Leicesters and Saracens but Glasgow Warriors can compete with Leinsters etc.  

I looked up Sligo, it has a population of about 20,000, which is about the size of Alloa or Dumbarton, or several towns  in Scotland that don't have a SPFL league club (Bellshill, Bathgate, Renfrew). Yet Sligo Rovers is a professional club who has won their league three times. Not sure what that tells us though, other than comparisons are difficult. 

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