Rummenige shaking things up

Karl-Heinz Rummenige broke cover on his proposal to change Champions League football in a fundamental way but guaranteeing places for the top (sic.) teams in Europe, without the need for qualification.

Rummenige is not worried about his own club, Bayern Munich’s ability to qualify for the tournament, that is very much a forgone conclusion, but the prospect of games against Basel, or Leicester City, instead of Manchester United next season is less appetising. A tournament with only games against bigger teams is worth millions more in TV and sponsorship revenues than a tournament with games against lesser opponents.

This is an age old football adage. One of the prime reasons I don’t want an 18-team Scottish Premiership as interest in games against another half dozen lesser teams, at the cost of games against top teams, will put fewer bums on seats and create less interest.

Rummenige’s move is predatory and by no means guaranteed to succeed, but he’ll know this and perhaps be angling for a more accommodating compromise.

Ultimately, football is a democracy. Clubs make up the national associations and national associations make up Uefa. There are many more small clubs who would be disenfranchised by this move than large clubs who would succeed. The problem is, the money that could be placed on the table by those larger clubs.

A new football order is on its way. The current structures will not survive. I’m strongly opposed to Rummenige’s proposal but we need someone to shake things up. Now the ball is in play let’s see where it takes us.

Double-header coming up against the Highlanders. Bring it on………

Click Here for Comments >