Benitez’s Idea Branded “Awful”

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While our own debate on the idea rages on, former Liverpool player and current La Liga pundit Michael Robinson has chimed in on Rafa Benitez’ suggestion to mirror the Spanish league, and allow the Premiership’s “Big Clubs” to field reserves sides in the lower divisions,

“I think it’s an awful idea, and another one of the great evidences where the rich get rich and poor get poorer,” he said.

“I think it adulterates the competition. I understand why big clubs want that, because it gives them the chance for their younger players to compete against more expert players perhaps, and is good preparation.

“Here in Spain you get circumstances whereby if big clubs want to take players from their second team or third teams, that means that particular team, when it plays in their respective leagues, become an easier opponent for the team they are playing.”

He said: “I don’t want Real Madrid’s second team to be playing against my team’s rivals with a weakened side.

“On the other side of the coin, if that (reserve) team wants to go up a league it can end up putting out a first team with very expensive football players.

Seems like pretty much everyone hates the idea, and it certainly falls into that bucket of things that may work on the continent but would never be happily accepted in England – along with Director’s of Football, half time paella, and diving.