The spectre of a European Super League raised its ugly head again earlier in the week with news that a judgment would be made on it during December.
No one other than those making the judgment can know which way it’s going to land, but it’s safe to say that former pro and now pundit, Stan Collymore, isn’t a fan.
‘No, I don’t think a European Super League is the way forward. UEFA particularly have bent over backwards, with concessions, more games, more money. If you have a European Super League what’s it going to be predicated on?’ he wrote in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
‘It’s gonna be very, very difficult for clubs such as Villa and Forest, who have won European Cups in the past, Celtic too, to get into if it’s invite only. That will have a massive impact.
‘I could certainly see an example of clubs already owned by oil states or oligarchs or hedge funds, that are now spending €400m on players and are mopping up their domestic league, will just give a cursory nod to the league that they come from whilst going on and playing in the Super League.
‘Any attempt to start to be able to get momentum, however, should see supporters put their clubs under the greatest pressure to say their clubs must not, under any circumstances, enter a European Super League.
‘I think that particularly with the English clubs, if they were to say no again, we will never join the ESL because the whole idea would be dead in the water. There would be no European Super League that would be worthy of the name.’
Supporters came out in force back in 2021 when it was announced that there had been an agreement for the Super League to come into force.
The protests were almost immediate and forced the clubs that had made the agreement to drop out one by one and even go so far to apologise to their supporters.
Only Barcelona and Real Madrid are left from the original 12 clubs and their fate in the project rests in the judges hands.
Even if the ESL isn’t a going concern post-judgement, Collymore believes we’ll see a derivative of it because of the money that is now in the game.
‘Saudi Arabia, big American banks… the groundwork has already been laid in some respects. The pre-season International Champions Cup in America is their attempt at giving English and European clubs an insight into what potentially is possible,’ he added.
‘Come to America and play in front of 100,000 at the University of Michigan and we can make you richer than than you ever imagined. I could see a situation whereby the Saudis and the Americans, maybe even countries like India or China may want a little foothold.
‘Several entities will be needed to make it possible but just imagine if Manchester United are offered a billion pounds a season to play in any competition. The odds are that their owners are going to go absolutely yes because they then wouldn’t have to worry about whatever money comes into their club.
‘It’s a very persuasive argument.’
Essentially any organisation that has the money could effectively dangle clubs on a string and send them to all corners of the earth in the name of profit.
That’s a worst-case solution for many, who prefer the old traditions of the game which seem all but left in the past now.