Form a merged Dutch-Belgian top football league?

[Wanted Man]

This idea has recently been in the news again because Michel Platini has favoured it. The idea is that the strongest clubs of the Netherlands and Belgium should form a "BeNeLiga", resulting in a much stronger league that can compete in Europe. Platini notes that "Ajax will never win the Champions League again", making cooperation important to prevent Dutch football from plummeting down to the level of, say, Denmark. Belgium seems to be in that position already.

Platini has a bit of a different spin on it: he says that it would be detrimental if the top clubs were to do this all by themselves, because it would simply be for the profit of the big clubs, while all the others would be left behind in extremely weak domestic leagues. So instead, he would prefer to see three Dutch-Belgian divisions with promotion/relegation between them, even involving Luxembourg.

Would this be an improvement at all?

[Panda Tse Tung]

I think it will be. Though, will the national teams still be separated?
I might visit soccer games again if we get 3 leagues! It would be awesome!

[Wanted Man]

Obviously, the national teams would be separated. ;)

And in your case, you could prepare yourself for such top encounters as RBC Roosendaal vs FCV Dender. :tt2:

[F9]

I think platini is a fucking idiot, and because he knew how to kick the fucking ball back in his days, he thinks he is the football god.:mad:
I dont really like this idea, it would just make football more commercialize, expensier for the fans to follow at each game, nationalism would might expand in a fight bettween teams from each "side", so no, even if some teams get to play some more good games, i think this is yet another stupid idea, from the stupid himself.

Fuserg9:star:

[Panda Tse Tung]

And in your case, you could prepare yourself for such top encounters as RBC Roosendaal vs FCV Dender.

Lol, well my assumption is that RBC would play 2nd league ;).

Fuserg:
I doubt nationalism will be much of a matter, and it's not that the Benelux is really that big (why not add luxemburg btw ;)). I think it would be an enhancement to the quality of Dutch and certainly to the quality of Belgian football.

[Wanted Man]

I think it has good and bad sides, and you've named some good arguments against it. The biggest danger would be if only the largest, richest clubs in the two countries would form a small league (12-16 clubs), while everybody else would be left to rot, with very little chance to get promoted to this top league. That would attract a lot of money and "save" the league financially, but it would kill off football in favour of money. The top league would be one big commercial game, and if you're not in it, you're fucked.

The 3-league alternative sounds a bit better. But it's going to have problems of its own. Let's say Cambuur (a low-flight team from the northern Netherlands) would have to play against Mons (southern Belgium). How many away fans would come? Even now, southern teams in the Dutch Premier League barely take away fans along when they play in the north. That may seem surprising in these small countries, but even then, you're talking about expensive 4-hour trips back and forth, which most working class people could never afford in either time or money.

These smaller clubs would have to be involved. Otherwise, the FA will finally succeed in their efforts to purge all clubs that do not have enough financial strength to compete from professional football. And then an elitist top league would still be a reality.

It's a tough question. Whatever happens, it should certainly not be decided in back rooms, bypassing all the fans and all the clubs who don't have massive sponsorship deals.

[Panda Tse Tung]

i don't care I'd be in the center of the football-world! (yes this is the world)

[Wanted Man]

The BeNeLiga: where the damn southerners finally get their break. :lol:

[F9]

i don't care I'd be in the center of the football-world! (yes this is the world)

"You should", this is just pushing football deeper in capitalism, profit, modernization, commercialization etc etc reforming the game we like to a big shitty money industry, turning teams to fucking companys, leagues with only point the "money" for the teams, advertisers, and the association.This is not the game we like, this isnt how i love football, this is a piece of shit which i will always fight against, its modernization and having only people to watch for see the good new sponsored stadium, the new shirt filled with advvertisings like its an advertising board etc etc.And as said above, this is made for the good of the teams, not the supporters and friends of the sport.It would crush economically the fans, especially those who trie follow the team everywhere, which makes it more "shit" than it is.

AGAINST MODERN FOOTBALL mate.

Fuserg9:star:

[Devrim]

"You should", this is just pushing football deeper in capitalism, profit, modernization, commercialization etc etc reforming the game we like to a big shitty money industry, turning teams to fucking companys, leagues with only point the "money" for the teams, advertisers, and the association.

It is not about 'turning teams into companies'. teams are companies. Football is a business.

Personally, I prefer to watch the big league (UEFA Champions league), and have stopped going to watch my local team because I got fed up with seeing us lose matches that we should have won due to games being bought by the bigger teams.

At least in the big money leagues people are earning so much money that it is difficult to bribe them, which makes it more interesting.

Football is as much a part of the entertainment business as 20th Century Fox.

Devrim

[Magdalen]

Would Scottish teams be welcome in this new setup? It would certainly be preferable to a lop-sided merger with the English league. I like the fact that in Dutch football smaller provincial teams challenge the big guns far more regularly than in Scotland. Of course, this would come with very serious geographical constraints.

Perhaps a better option is a merger between the SPL and a strengthened League of Ireland. Some of Ireland's bigger teams aren't that far behind the likes of Falkirk and St Mirren now. The fact that thousands fans already travel over from Ireland every week to watch Celtic shows that this setup could work geographically.

[Devrim]

Perhaps a better option is a merger between the SPL and a strengthened League of Ireland. Some of Ireland's bigger teams aren't that far behind the likes of Falkirk and St Mirren now. The fact that thousands fans already travel over from Ireland every week to watch Celtic shows that this setup could work geographically.

In my opinion this is an awful idea. There is no way that the best Irish teams could compete with the big two Scottish teams. The only people it would make happy are Celtic fans in Ireland who would be able to watch their team whipping some ex-League of Ireland rubbish without having to travel far.

Devrim

[F9]

It is not about 'turning teams into companies'. teams are companies. Football is a business.

Not all teams, but yeah, a lot. Football is not a business, thats what they are trying to do, and thats what we are fighting.We do succeed in some matters, and other teams succeed in a greater level, with our most great example Sankt Pauli.


Personally, I prefer to watch the big league (UEFA Champions league), and have stopped going to watch my local team because I got fed up with seeing us lose matches that we should have won due to games being bought by the bigger teams.

I dont give a fuck about Champions League, i do watch it, but ony as an entertainment since i love football, and thats all, i wont even get "upset" if i loose a game, even if its the final, i dont care and that much, and to be honest, i would prefer scrabbing the Champions League ultimately.
Secondly, its not your teams fault that there are some looses because others buy them, in the last years my team lost championships due to those "byings" by other scum clubs, plus we always got after the football association for being the only leftist club, which is bing one as to be in first division and challenging for the championship, and there is an obvious pushing from everywhere so we loose everything.I never stopped loving and following my team, for what some fuckers decided to do, and will never do.I dont care if we get now in 3rd division..pshh who cares?Will still love the team for what represents, and those i grew up with.I "learned" to be there in sadness and happiness, im only getting sadness lately, but that dont affects my passion of the team, it may affects how i feel against the players, coaches etc etc which as fans we kicked out a lot in times for not be real representatives of waht we belive and love.


At least in the big money leagues people are earning so much money that it is difficult to bribe them, which makes it more interesting.

I dont think that any other championship is as near as enough interesting as cyprus championship in my own eyes.And thats what basically is in every corner of this planet, where someone is really behind a team.


Football is as much a part of the entertainment business as 20th Century Fox.

Devrim

It is an entairtainment in some cases, its a passion in others.And we are fighting to demolish all this bussiness shit from the sport we love and enjoy.

Fuserg9:star:

[Pogue]

In my opinion this is an awful idea. There is no way that the best Irish teams could compete with the big two Scottish teams. The only people it would make happy are Celtic fans in Ireland who would be able to watch their team whipping some ex-League of Ireland rubbish without having to travel far.

Devrim

This. Football in Ireland wouldn't be able to compete, and the only people who would really benefit would be Celtic fans. Theres simply ntohing to gain from it. Football isn't hugely big in Ireland anyway, as Hurling and Gaelic Football dominate.

[Devrim]

Not all teams, but yeah, a lot. Football is not a business, thats what they are trying to do, and thats what we are fighting.We do succeed in some matters, and other teams succeed in a greater level, with our most great example Sankt Pauli.

It isn't what they are trying to do. It is what football is. St Pauli is also a business. One that has managed to sell leftism/alternativism and profit greatly from it. Compare their merchandise and ticket sales today with those from the early 80s before they decided to take on the leftist image.


Secondly, its not your teams fault that there are some looses because others buy them, in the last years my team lost championships due to those "byings" by other scum clubs, plus we always got after the football association for being the only leftist club, which is bing one as to be in first division and challenging for the championship, and there is an obvious pushing from everywhere so we loose everything.I never stopped loving and following my team, for what some fuckers decided to do, and will never do.I dont care if we get now in 3rd division..pshh who cares?

It just doesn't make it entertaining or exciting when matches are fixed.


I dont think that any other championship is as near as enough interesting as cyprus championship in my own eyes.And thats what basically is in every corner of this planet, where someone is really behind a team.

I have never seen the Cypriot championship, but I imagine the quality is very poor really. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean it can't be exciting, but you would need to be emotionally attached to it for it to be so.


It is an entairtainment in some cases, its a passion in others.And we are fighting to demolish all this bussiness shit from the sport we love and enjoy.

It is about as realistic as trying to get rid of 'all this bussiness shit' from Hollywood. Football wouldn't exist in anyway like it does today if it wasn't a business.

Devrim

[Sam_b]

In my opinion this is an awful idea. There is no way that the best Irish teams could compete with the big two Scottish teams. The only people it would make happy are Celtic fans in Ireland who would be able to watch their team whipping some ex-League of Ireland rubbish without having to travel far.

I agree. The whole reason that Scottish football is now seen as a joke is because of ridiculous changes to the structre already - see the SPL top six, for example. The whole league itself is not competative not just due to the Old Firm being miles ahead of the others in big-name players, but that is is ridiculously difficult for teams to break into the SPL because there's only one promotion place, and many smaller SPL teams like Kilmarnock and Falkirk risk going under as there's no guarantee they could get back into the top flight in the next season.

[Killfacer]

It's one of fuckwitt platini's many shitoid ideas. What's he playing at? Of course it shouldn't happen.