The closest we've come to a ESL in my lifetime was Media Partners in 1998.
Here's a look at their proposals, many of which look remarkably similar to what was published yesterday.
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32 teams in 2 ESL divisions, including 4 English sides.
16 "founder members" and 16 others changing from year to year based on league champions and 2nd-4th placed clubs in big leagues.
Founder members based on 10 year performance. NO RELEGATION for 3 seasons.
Minimum 15 games per season, with max of 22.
Matches played midweek with domestic leagues at weekends.
Teams guaranteed between x2 and x3 revenue vs CL at that time.
UEFA, the FA and the European Professional Leagues committee (including the EPL) all rejected the proposals
What happened next? 1) UEFA agreed to expand the CL to 32 teams from the 99/00 season 2) UEFA agreed to allow "top 4" clubs from 3 biggest countries into the CL 3) UEFA agreed to retire the Cup Winners Cup
The result was that 22 clubs were guaranteed 6 games including the top 2 clubs from the biggest 6 countries.
UEFA added a 2nd group stage to the CL, so the winner played 17 (seventeen!) matches
If the ESL has been killed, this momentum needs to be used for more.
FIFA, UEFA, the EPL and FA all created the conditions for this to happen. It's their governance that has failed over 30 years, bankrolled by the Sky propaganda machine.
The whole lot needs a wrecking ball
FIFA corruption is legendary, culminating in the awarding of the World Cups to Russia and Qatar. Where was the united football front to force that to be reversed?
UEFA can't enforce its own rules and its Champions League is the primary source of all domestic league imbalance in Europe. Its new CL format is a worse version of the ESL
In a parallel universe where the ESL plan is not announced, todays focus is solely on the approval of UEFA's, frankly awful, new CL format.
A 36 team, single group stage.
10 matches each randomly selected by algorithm.
The 2 highest ranked teams who didn't qualify for CL parachuted in.
Winner plays 17 CL matches
100 extra CL matches overall (!)
That's what was approved today and frankly, it's not worth fighting for.
A reminder of the revised UEFA Champions League format that was, coincidentally, about to be approved today to start in 2024.
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36 teams in first phase, increase from 32 today.
2 of the places each season to be reserved for highest ranked teams that don't qualify through domestic performance.
Single group stage with all 36 teams playing 10 fixtures randomly selected by algorithm.
Top 8 qualify for knockout stage.
Clubs 9-24 play elimination matches to join top 8.
Round of 16/QF/SF/Final as today.
City just about matching #LFC's best ever half season of underlying performance, the first half of 18/19.
City 20/21 +23.8 non-penalty XG difference #LFC 18/19 +25.1
City's non-penalty XG conceded of just 11.2 in 19 games is astonishingly good. Easily the best defensive team in Europe this season.
LFC v EFC is now the longest unbeaten streak by LFC against any single opponent in our entire history. Here's the story of those 23 games, 10 years and 3,654 days unbeaten
1) 16.01.2011 Anfield 2-2 draw
First home game of Dalglish era. Moyes in charge for EFC. EFC come from behind to lead 2-1 but Howard needlessly brings down Maxi for a pen as EFC squander chance for 1st win at Anfield since 1999
2) 01.10.2011 Goodison 2-0 win
Martin Atkinson sends off Jack Rodwell after 23 minutes. Kuyt misses a pen before late goals from Carroll & Suarez win it. The FA overturn the red card a few days later