What Killed the European Super League?

It was a global reaction that Europe’s richest football clubs failed to anticipate. Proposals to create a Super League to rival UEFA, was immediately shot down by fans, pundits and politicians. Labelled a greedy attempt to make more money, several teams who were to be the founding clubs, quickly withdrew their participation. Days later, the whole thing collapsed in an embarrassing mess.

[madjames]

Brazil (a country the size of Europe) did the same in the early 2000s.

The bulk of Brazilian football calendar before 2000 was the State Championships. Every State in Brazil has his own league pyramid system.

In 1900s, when football came to Brazil, crossing the country demanded weeks. A National Championship right of the bat was impossible. So, every state instituted its own football league.

In 1958, with travel improvements, Brazil started to have nationwide championships, but Estaduais kept their importance.

Then, in 2003, it was instituted a Brazilian League, with 38 games/season and a 4 division pyramid. Now, the big teams only use State Championships as a practice season.

The consequences: a lot of teams that weren't so dominant nationally but were strong in their states are failing, like Coritiba, Botafogo, Cruzeiro. As a reduced competition consequence, teams are investing far less in finding and developing new talents. Brazil lost the advantage it had over other countries, that was the capillarity of its football system. Also, teams can afford to be worse, as they only play between them. So, in 1990s Brazilian teams were as good as European teams. Now, they struggle to match African teams.

[SonGoku-iosh]

People don't realise that football is already in the hands of the elite and has been since Sky et al were allowed to create monopolies on who could show games, if not before that by floating clubs on the stock market.

[afrobuddy]

I wish it went forward. Super league is the future. Tired of watching Messi bully the Getafe and Eibar farmers every year.

[MrAizatazmi]

Why football fans prefer uefa than esl?