We still don't know how this ultimatley falls out. All the domestic league associations, UEFA, probably inevitably FIFA, and basically any player or manager willing to put their name on a quote, has come out vociferously against this. More worrying for the ESL's prospects - and maybe the only glimmer of hope us fans have - is the UK government in full force comign out against it, from Boris Johnson to many members of parliament, to even Prince William. Given post-Brexit the UK can basically act alone they can absolutely lay the hammer down on the six EPL clubs part of this, even up to forcing sales by claiming they have to be held 51%+ by domestic parties. We honestly can soon be in a world where Brexit indirectly saved European football.
But anyway, that will settle where it settles. In the meantime it will be fascinating to watch play out. In the interim, I'm left absolutely crestfallen. Soccer is well behind the US sports in terms of my interest, and I can foresee a world where I recede my interest in some splintered club football set-up, but for now I have to think about if I should pick a new club. To be truthful, the only real tentpole reason I like Madrid is because I love Zidane, who of course played there but then has led them to unparalleled success ironically in the same competition Real Madrid wants to now leave.
The weirdest thing about this change is the weird statement I've heard thrown out that this is football trying to "Americanize" itself, but in reality American sports would never do this. The only place where it couild be possible is the sport that is the most "European" in its set-up, college football. I can absolutely see 20 prestige Power-5 schools banding together and creating a new Conference. But aside from that, US pro sports are openly socialist in how they're run. Salary Caps, revenue sharing, no promotion or relegation. League's are capitalist but they know that the only way to survive is for all to rise.
The one thing I really don't get about this move is what exactly is in it for those teams? I get that this gives them a guaranteed ridiculous amount of money, but it isn't like a lot of these clubs were struggling - other than maybe the English ones. Real Madrid and Barcelona are basically guaranteed CL spots. I just don't know. I don't know what this is for, who it is benefitting, and why these clubs could think they wouldn't get the backlash they are now getting.
Its amazing how unified and loud the backlash has been, even now with a few players coming out against it. I figure there will be a larger flood of these coming in the future. Jurgen Klopp has been fairly outspoken already and personally I can't wait to see what Zidane says or done. For someone who has a hot & cold relationship with Flo already, and walked away on his own terms once, I can easily see him leaving at this point as well.
The fallout is just beginning but it already seems both sides are way too entrenched to back away now. The real key will be what happens with the EPL clubs if the UK government tries to actually push some pressure on them. There's already some rumblings that a few of them are getting cold feet.
I'm curious what the long term impact of this will be. In my time watching the sport there's been nothing quite like this.
