Celtic and Rangers could finally quit Scottish football...

[ian1964 10,761]

...as Copenhagen chief reveals Atlantic League is ON

 

09:10, 13 Oct 2016

Updated 09:13, 13 Oct 2016

By Record Sport Online

 

DANE Anders Hørsholt reveals talks are on-going in the face of Champions League fears.

 

THE Atlantic League is seemingly marching towards inevitability – with a key figure confirming talks have taken place in the face of Champions League fears.

 

FC Copenhagen director Anders Hørsholt revealed discussions have been on-going to set up a European league involving teams from Scotland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Sweden.

 

Clubs have acted over concerns of being frozen out of the Champions League by a Continental cartel.

 

Record Sport in February exclusively revealed Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell had reached out to Ajax among other outfits in an attempt to fight the proposals of Europe’s elite clubs, who are attempting to drive through an invitation-only version of the competition.

 

Hørsholt insisted the Atlantic League will see the likes of Celtic and Rangers quit the SPFL for this new venture. It’s not yet clear if other Scottish clubs such as Aberdeen and Hearts are involved, although Danish sources believe there will be 12 to 16 teams in a league drawn from six countries.

 

In an interview with Danish newspaper BT, Hørsholt said: "Yes it's true. If we do not act now, we will see the biggest clubs grow larger and stronger while it will be increasingly difficult for clubs like us.

 

"We must therefore look at which alternative international opportunities for FC Copenhagen in the future.

 

"Here it is still too early to talk about specific models, but the discussion of leagues across European borders is a theme that we look at and actively participates in."

 

With Europe's biggest clubs looking to squeeze out the smaller nations and the current Champions League deal set to expire in 2021, Hørsholt insists the clubs in countries that are classed as only medium-sized in European scale have to seek an alternative.

 

He said: "We understand that the biggest clubs act as they do.

 

"But it also means that we must look at the market, it leaves and seek alliances with teams from other countries in the same situation.

 

"This is not a situation that we have created, but we have to deal with it, because we can not live with the alternative accounting. We must continue to develop as a club and be attractive to sponsors, the most skilled players and staff. Therefore, it is essential that we are at the European level."

 

Hørsholt also insisted the only way a new European league can work is if member clubs leave their domestic set-ups.

 

He added: "FC Copenhagen and other European clubs that will be part of a new European league will step out of their domestic leagues. It is still well in the future, but it may well be the result."

 

Talk of an Atlantic-style league including Celtic and Rangers and clubs from Scandinavia, Belgium and the Netherlands have been doing the rounds since 1999, when PSV's sporting director Frank Arnesen first mentioned it.

 

Earlier this month SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster again voiced fears the Champions League could become a closed shop and Hørsholt believes changes are inevitable.

 

He said: "The latest development is a clear step away from the idea of 'The Football Family', which would otherwise have been the foundation of both UEFA, ECA (European Club Association) and entire cooperation of Football Europe.

 

"In short, we have no alternative. We are a club that should help ensure that Denmark has a place in international club football. We will fight for the track in the next Champions League, but we will also fight outside while a new European football map is drawn."

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-rangers-could-finally-quit-9035301

[SteveC 150]

I don't see why this league would be considered an attraction/moneymaking. All the focus would still be on the revamped Chumps league. This'd be like, in terms of interest, the Europa league minus all the temporarily fallen big teams that are mixed in with that to make it vaguely of interest to sponsors and TV companies.

 

I do want us out of Scotland so it is heartening in that sense but I don't see a long term viability or excitement (after the novelty wore off). Hell of a challenge for supporters' clubs too...........

Edited October 13, 2016 by SteveC

[JFK-1 1,693]

I think it could create a lot of interest from fans and from TV too because this could involve some of the biggest cities in Europe. The champions league appears to be going in the direction of involving just a handful of countries and you never know. If the proposed Atlantic league played it smartly they might even possibly eclipse the champions league simply because as I previously mentioned it's going to involve teams from just a handful of countries.

 

The Atlantic league proposal could bring in more countries with a larger combined population than than those involved in the Champions league which would be of certain interest to TV and sponsors/advertisers. And since they would also be leaving their current domestic leagues there would be a situation where the cartel who are currently forming to make the champions league a private club would see their own domestic leagues being somewhat diminished due to clubs within them being attracted to the Atlantic league.

 

The old firm alone could attract an audience of millions between them to watch matches between them and say Ajax and I would suspect the German teams just outside the elite few in the bundesliga may also be interested along with sidelined but still top French and Italian teams too. Throw in the fact that the Atlantic league would be played every week unlike the champions league and I think you may indeed get a great deal of interest from TV to air matches involving teams from very large cities all across the continent.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

I think we should stay to get away from celtc.

[calscot 0]

The first problem is that while the combined population is over 50m giving a market comparable in size with most of the Big 5, the Scandinavian countries are hardly known as big domestic football watchers - at least at the game where their attendances are low.

 

Another is that starting from a Scottish point of view, some of the games may be less interesting to our fans than the likes of Hearts and Aberdeen, as outside the big three Dutch teams, the others are not exactly box office smashes here. If you look at the top two from each country you get some pretty unknown clubs here. Perhaps Brugge and Aderlecht are just about on the A list, but fans from those seven clubs (including OF) will not be so intently interested in the rest.

 

Although, I'm guessing it would be invitation only and so the clubs may be something like:

 

Rangers, Celtic, Rosenborg, Brann, Malmo, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Brondby, Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, AZ, Brugge, Anderlecht, Standard Liege - and one other probably from Sweden due to population size.

 

The problem here is that some of our fans have already disrespectfully labelled Malmo as a "pub team"...

 

The big drive is to bring in more money from TV and while I think we could increase that, we can't even get close to the top 4 countries, especially England and Germany, and the the big two in Spain currently are allowed to negotiate their own stratospheric deals.

 

Scotland has very little to bring to the table in this regard. We get 1% of the English fees, despite over15% (I think) of their viewership - this is due to Scots paying for Sky whether our football is on it or not - we have too many people who are equal or more interested in the Premiership, which has an incredible negative impact on our marketability.

 

To me the people who follow English football on Sky are massively responsible for the parsimonious state of our game. It's a bit like local cafe's closing down as everyone goes to Starbucks or Costa - with a big part of the reason being they make better coffee in more comfortable surroundings.

 

The Dutch probably do a lot better than us in that sense - I don't know the impact of the Bundesliga or EP on them. However, I think we will always be worse due to actually being in the same country and covered by the same TV companies.

 

I can't see us getting more through the gates - there is not much room and it's not yet viable to expand - even if the demand improves. Even then and with the tricky financial risk of putting up the prices, we're talking about a maximum increase of a few million - best to put the efforts into TV and commercial income streams.

 

The problem is that big German and English clubs are earning about 200m each from this - I can't see how we can even get close with an Atlantic league.

[MacK1950 2,399]

Are all clubs from countries who might participate in a revamped champions league going to be exempt?.Also will the proposed Atlantic league have promotion/relegation issues?.A lot to be thought about and IMO unworkable.

[alexscottislegend 2,375]

The first problem is that while the combined population is over 50m giving a market comparable in size with most of the Big 5, the Scandinavian countries are hardly known as big domestic football watchers - at least at the game where their attendances are low.

 

Another is that starting from a Scottish point of view, some of the games may be less interesting to our fans than the likes of Hearts and Aberdeen, as outside the big three Dutch teams, the others are not exactly box office smashes here. If you look at the top two from each country you get some pretty unknown clubs here. Perhaps Brugge and Aderlecht are just about on the A list, but fans from those seven clubs (including OF) will not be so intently interested in the rest.

 

Although, I'm guessing it would be invitation only and so the clubs may be something like:

 

Rangers, Celtic, Rosenborg, Brann, Malmo, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Brondby, Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, AZ, Brugge, Anderlecht, Standard Liege - and one other probably from Sweden due to population size.

 

The problem here is that some of our fans have already disrespectfully labelled Malmo as a "pub team"...

 

The big drive is to bring in more money from TV and while I think we could increase that, we can't even get close to the top 4 countries, especially England and Germany, and the the big two in Spain currently are allowed to negotiate their own stratospheric deals.

 

Scotland has very little to bring to the table in this regard. We get 1% of the English fees, despite over15% (I think) of their viewership - this is due to Scots paying for Sky whether our football is on it or not - we have too many people who are equal or more interested in the Premiership, which has an incredible negative impact on our marketability.

 

To me the people who follow English football on Sky are massively responsible for the parsimonious state of our game. It's a bit like local cafe's closing down as everyone goes to Starbucks or Costa - with a big part of the reason being they make better coffee in more comfortable surroundings.

 

The Dutch probably do a lot better than us in that sense - I don't know the impact of the Bundesliga or EP on them. However, I think we will always be worse due to actually being in the same country and covered by the same TV companies.

 

I can't see us getting more through the gates - there is not much room and it's not yet viable to expand - even if the demand improves. Even then and with the tricky financial risk of putting up the prices, we're talking about a maximum increase of a few million - best to put the efforts into TV and commercial income streams.

 

The problem is that big German and English clubs are earning about 200m each from this - I can't see how we can even get close with an Atlantic league.[/QUOTE]

 

We won't get close but if there is a link for the champions to gain access/promotion to the champions league then it could be viable. Staying in Scotland is now certain death, especially when we hate nearly all the clubs and can't get into the riches of the top competition any more. Fixtures v any of these clubs is far better than the likes of Ross County and Hamilton.

[ranger_syntax 4,422]

Groan . . . not again!

[cooponthewing 1,139]

This will happen within 10 years. If not before. It will be a closed shop CL within 5.

[pete 2,499]

Fox are paying the Dutch Ass. 1 billion euro's over the next 12 years. The difference here is almost every game is live even if you live in Holland. The only time a game is not live is if there are 4 games at one time as they only have 3 channels.