Dozen knives in the back of UEFA

12 European top clubs announced the creation of super leagues

There was no sadness, and now they waited-not a solemn announcement of the Union of European Football Associations on the Reform of the Champions League, but a 12-way of statement of the European Super League made a few hours before. Which, in case of a successful start, will bury the Champions League, and in the future - all European football in its former form.

Who are they, these brave fighters with a clumsy system, who are these revolutionaries who challenge the existing order for the sake of a bright future? The names are known - this is the president of the Real Madrid Florentino Perez and the president of the Juventus Turin Andrea Anelli, who until the last successfully hid their ideas. The conspirators were already enlisted by the support of the English Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham, Spanish Barcelona and Atletico, Italian Inter and Milan. On the account of these monsters of 99 European trophies, the list is not only “Bavaria” and PSG,

And for the first time in a quarter of a century, the creation of the European elite international league is not provocative conversations and utopian plans, but the most severe reality.

They decided to start already in this August so that the opponents did not have time to come to their senses. The plans include an increase in the number of irreplaceable to 15, plus five clubs of the replaced composition. Two groups of ten teams, a two-circular tournament, four clubs enter the playoffs. Top matches every week, the ratings take off to heaven, the telecorporations fight for the right to pay fabulous money, the television audience is automatically increasing significantly, for handing over to the poor relatives in the form of several hundred clubs, incredible ten billion euros promise-this is if everyone turns out, as the founders plan.

To say that the football community has a breath spent is to say nothing. A bunch of influential heroes decided to crush the still partially remaining folk game - where is this suitable? Moreover, for American money - JP Morgan Bank immediately gives 3.5 billion for the development of the project, all participants - 264 million plus prizes. Compared to such money, UEFA expenses to the Champions League and the European League look miserable handouts.

The philosophy is simple: the success of the undertaking is determined by the size of the “dough” embedded in it, that's all.

Of course, the revolutionaries presented the idea in the most beautiful packaging. The Super League should return football his true place in the hearts and minds of all mankind. I’m not joking-Florentino Perez said so that the 4-millionth (!) Army of people involved in the orbit of football is worthy of more than what the current system offers him. New leaders think with billions of categories, justifying the feasibility of changes in the requirements of time.

The pandemic, its continuation and consequences pushed decisive action. Club income has fallen, the audience has reoriented, football is losing popularity, and its organizational structure cannot offer anything new. The Reform of the Champions League is scheduled for 2024, the group tournament in the Swiss system of cardinal problems will not solve, because there will be a lot of ballast in the league that only seals ratings and does not attract the audience. If you take into account the sociological aspect, then football, according to Peres and Angelli, catastrophically loses the youth audience, for which, in principle, any attractive sight or hobby can be important. This means that football should hold this main and most massive audience in constant tone, that is, the excitement should arise not from case to case, but continue for a long time. Each match is a potential hit and a show, and each club has as much as 18 of them. And there will be as much as 18. And we will all be happy. The landmark, however, is not to the European, but rather, to the Asian and American television audiences, for which the presence of stars and a catchy sign are primarily important. The fact that the dessert can also be overfeed, it does not occur to the “cooks”.

The venture, of course, is completely crazy, but the billionaires come to mind. In principle, it is not based on altruism, but one way or another calculated the need to increase profit. Everything else, including traditions, basic values, the usual structure, emphasis on development - side, as soon as things interfering with progress. Let clubs, unable to attract attention, survive as they want.

Naturally, indignation responded with a universal cry of despair. The first reaction of the Union of European Football Associations was more like hysteria. UEFA President Alexander Cheferin called what was happening in the face, urging the football community to defend the basic values. And he threatened, of course, terrible punishes until the exception of the groups-and their players and their players from all tournaments under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA. And these are dozens of stars that make up the foundations of leading national teams not only in Europe, but also in the world.

It is almost impossible to imagine that the starter in less than two months will lose almost all stars.

But not only UEFA is determined - almost all the leading national federations, most specialists and experts, the overwhelming number of fans gave their vote against the initiative of the conspirators, considering the cynical way to enrich themselves. Few people pecked at beautiful words - even those who do not protect UEFA, guided by the sacramental Shakespearean "to put up with a familiar evil than a flight to an unfamiliar."

In a situation of lack of intelligible mass support, the chances of the success of the “conspiracy 12” can be estimated no higher than 25-30 percent. But this is also a lot to seriously worry to our near future. If the idea of ​​“football for the rich” with the help of huge money will gain flesh and blood, it will destroy the entire football structure and violate the fragile balance of all its components without exception. If UEFA really takes measures from the category of the most decisive, then the consequences in some aspects will be no less destructive. If UEFA bend and goes to the conditions of new leaders, then disappointment can become really massive. Wherever you throw it - everywhere a wedge, but it is a revolution, to calculate all the consequences of which is impossible in principle.

Perez and Angelli had enough mind not to declare the output of future participants in the Super League from national championships. True, then it is completely incomprehensible how to combine the home championship and the cup (or even not one) with two dozen games with the prefix “Super”? And if the monsters leave home championships, then who will be interesting, including TV companies? So far, the whole idea gives rise to more questions than answers. The fact that the most responsible European powers represented by the leading clubs of Germany and France did not support revolutionaries, speaks of the insufficient elaboration of the project, and the not very confident position of its authors.

The voice of the Russian football authorities in this buch, if anyone is heard, is perhaps in Russia, and few people are interested in the lack of authority. It is quite pointless to calculate whether the changes are beneficial to Russian football - in traditional versions at the European club level, we failed everything that is possible, and the Super League is needed, like a fish umbrella.

One way or another, after April 19, 2021, football as a global phenomenon of modern life will no longer be the same. This attempt, albeit with worthless means, will force not only to fight against certain reformers, but to think about the present and the future.

No one promised football eternal life. This is one of the most beautiful and mass hobbies invented by mankind will also someday, unable to withstand the onslaught of something new, but inevitable. But now somehow I do not want to artificially bring the end to the end, making football exclusively by the property of the elite. And the “Revolution on the right” is most likely doomed to failure.

But this is a local war, which will not be winners.