Old Firm possibly to the EPL

[alexscottislegend 2,303]

I think we should have a European league setup and be done with it. It's the only way that football can prosper outside the big 5 countries.

 

Use something like the CL as a feeder competition to a league set up.

 

Then split the TV and advertising money on a meritorious basis instead of whatever country you are from.

 

It would solve many of our problems about moving to the English leagues.

In the long term I think you are right. It may mean say 3 divisions with up to 60 of Europe's top clubs.

 

Wonder what happened to the Atlantic League idea so beloved of the onetime PSV chairman? Because clubs like that and Ajax and Benfica won't want to be on the outside looking in for much longer.

[calscot 0]

UEFA and the top clubs blocked the Atlantic league as it would water down the UEFA competitions, and so offered more automatic CL qualification for lesser countries and leagues in the UEFA Cup, now Europa cup as sweeteners.

[calscot 0]

I'm not sure an Atlantic league would work anyway. TV is reasonably saturated for the top teams in each country and the difference with the likes of England is you wouldn't get too many people in Belgium paying to watch say Benfica v Gothenburg.

 

Supporters of teams outside the big clubs would probably not be as interested in it either compared to the whole of England paying through the nose to watch the Premiership.

 

Attendances at the participating clubs are also already high and unlikely to increase - and then there is the increased costs and player effects of traveling so much.

 

I still think it would be good idea as you could include lesser teams like Hearts, Aberdeen, Sporting Lisbon, FC Twente etc, who would all Benefit and perhaps increase the standard of competition in the league as well as football in the home countries.