After some horse-trading towards the end of last week, involving a reluctant Spartak Moscow, a huge step was taken on Monday towards establishing a Unified Football Championship across former-Soviet countries. 14 Russian clubs met a representative club from the Ukrainian league in Moscow, with Ukrainian clubs now due a corresponding meeting.
The event was hosted by Gazprom deputy chairman, Alexei Miller, an ally of Vladimir Putin, who afterwards briefed Russian media and indicated Uefa were aware of their plans.
Miller said, “We think it is realistic to hold the championship from the autumn of 2014 to the spring of 2015, but if the time to reach agreements drags on, we plan to hold the championship from autumn 2015 to spring 2016.
“Since a championship like this is a complicated diplomatic matter, we have decided to initiate the championship initially with Ukraine only.
“In the future, if everything works out, we will be able to co-opt clubs from the other countries in the post-Soviet territories, but that’s the next step. All former-Soviet countries would be eligible to join.”
Show me the money
Gazprom sponsor the Uefa Champions League and are keen to sponsor the new league. Miller was clear that money would drive the change, promising annual sponsorship of €1 billion, which in world football is (a close) second only to the value of the next FA Premier League TV contract.
Uefa Financial Fair Play requirements make change, of some sort, inevitable in Russia and Ukraine. Leading clubs there are heavily subsidised by benefactors and, unless they manage to considerably improve their income, they will have to either get rid of all their expensive players, or forgo European competition.
As things stand, the sums don’t add up but money from a Unified Football Championship would allow clubs in Russia and Ukraine to meet Uefa Financial Fair Play requirements and compete with major leagues in the west. Gazprom have the seed cash and political influence, both domestically and at Uefa, to oil the wheels.
In 2005 Uefa sanctioned the Royal League in Scandinavia between the top four clubs from Denmark, Sweden and Norway, but the initiative was poorly organised and perished three years later due to a lack of a TV deal.
After this experiment several clubs across Europe started lobbying to extend the strategy to other leagues which were disenfranchised by a lack of competition or TV income. The principle was further confirmed by Michel Platini and the Uefa Executive Committee in March last year, when they approved a three year probationary period for the BeNe League, which combined top women’s teams from Belgium and the Netherlands, the first season of which is now underway.
The Committee stated at the time that, subject to a satisfactory outcome of the BeNe experiment, other cross-border leagues would be considered by the Executive Committee if all stakeholders (national associations, leagues and clubs) came to agreement on a way forward.
The former-Soviet countries are now motivated to regionalise. The Scandinavians have understood the potential of regionalisation for years but didn’t get it right (they retained national leagues which determined European qualification, the Royal League was effectively a friendly competition). The Belgians and Dutch have a pan-national league already underway, while the former-Yugoslav countries have discussed implementing the same for a couple of years now.
Wales and England have the longest-established regionalised league system in the world.
Meanwhile…………. at a national stadium near you, the only change on the agenda is whether to have three lower leagues or two.
Scottish football is fully aware the viability of many clubs is at a critical level, but have singularly failed to present the vision evident elsewhere in Europe. Whatever world-class technical, stadium and coaching resources we have is being squandered by unambitious leadership.
Months into deliberations Scottish football is only addressing how to slice up an ever-smaller pie. The enormous increase in income possible from regionalisation to SPL clubs, and what trickles-down to the lower leagues, dos not seem to have registered.
Hard cash can focus minds..
Spartak Moscow owner, Leonid Fedun, was highly critical of plans for the new league and insisted he would not attend Monday’s meeting but after doing so he said, “When I heard the budget per year was €1 billion I changed my mind and decided to attend. You can’t miss a chance to be the part of that game.”
Football across Europe is set for change, a fact a great deal of the UK media seem to have missed.
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Shift change???
tomcourtney – “8 + 4 = 12,
what’s the next stage up from a riot called?”
A fleg protest :o)
Reposting this from the last thread.
The Whitehouse Plumbers, Humpty Dumpty, Senator George McGovern and a trip to the Doctors and the Lawyers!
http://wp.me/p1G95H-od
Kojo, if you we’re looking tae enter ma hoose, n ah didnae waant ye in ma hoose, then I can employ the following tactics tae stoap ye. I can wait in the kitchen , tell ma 3 bhoys tae take a bedroom each and wait there fur ye, whilst the missus is sent tae living room whereby she will accost ye the meenit ye pit fit in the door. That kojo wid be zonal marking. Me? I wid simply employ man tae man marking in the guid old fashioned way, that being, grab ye by the scruff o the neck afore ye even got past the welcome mat.
Hen1rik
If your still asking I found this on twitter :))
Edgar Blamm@EdgarBlamm
Anyone with a Rangers Media Timposter account able to get this pdf? http://forum.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=247706 …
———————-
TallBoy Poppy@TallBoyPoppy
@EdgarBlamm This work? http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/6076/mastertonstory.pdf …
Green pays off the outstanding Jellyfish debt. – SSN
Green pays £700,000 of the outstanding debt to Rapid . The Austrian club will continue to seek the balance from oldco. – Shortbread.
Dooooooooooooh sorry for the RM part I could have posted without it. :(
Hoopeddreams,
Im aff oot, before they come for me…..
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
bournesouprecipe
17:28 on
20 February, 2013
I saw four Sevco players outside my door playing football with a cat. I was just about to call the RSPCA when the cat went 1-0 up.
Oldies CS
Gents, this is only my third post in over a year and I am in awe of you all but this is one that really tickles me
bournesouprecipe, you make me laugh, cheers.
Has Chuck Green gone to Siberia yet ?
HH
Walfrid’s Brother
17:40 on 20 February, 2013
tomcourtney – “8 + 4 = 12,
what’s the next stage up from a riot called?”
A fleg protest :o)
—————————————-
They (fleg protesters) seem to have gone quiet, or has the msm got bored with them.
No, they haven’t gone away :o).
The unionists have asked them to cancel the protest arranged for Saturday as they wish to commemorate the death of two UDR soldiers 20 years ago.
Puts the focus back on the common enemy – SF/IRA.
WB.
Shouldn’t that be ‘SF and the IRA’, you don’t want to sound hunnish :)
No, their term, not mine .
And not a hunnish bone in my body :o).
Jimmy Calderwood touting himself for the Dundee job.
I’m sure we will hear from a few other failed managers shortly. (Wonder if Sally thinks he is ready to make the step up … nah, maybe not.)
Think wb was highlighting the way the unionists always tie the two together when speaking of either.
A common practice amongst thems.
Twists N Turns
Excellent.
Noo,Ah know that …ye Hiv A Hoose..
and.. Ah know how miny rooms ye hiv..’n … How Miny Bhoys ..ye hiv.
and ye Hiv a Wife…plus a Livin’ Room and a Kitchen..
Howevahhhhhh..
Ah still..
Bliddy.. Dinnae Know.
Whit…the Heck..
ZONAL MARIKIN’…IS!
Kojo.
Still..Laughin’.. though.
As well as the obvious pain inflicted on impact, has anyone suffered the ‘moldmaster proxy’? This would happen as a direct result of the bully-beef lookalike catching a direct hit in the Sandy Galls, the unfortunate who, without thinking, then points and laughs and is subsequently on the receiving end of a tete-tete with the lavvy door.
A lesson that very rarely required repetition!
I wonder what sanctions Challs might have been under if he didn’t pay Rapid Vienna ? He wouldn’t cough up that much willingly.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
18:19 on
20 February, 2013
Jimmy Calderwood touting himself for the Dundee job.
I’m sure we will hear from a few other failed managers shortly. (Wonder if Sally thinks he is ready to make the step up … nah, maybe not.)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Iain ‘toaster’ Ferguson surely must be in the frame?
HH!!
Twists & Turns,
Now you see the pointlessness of trying to talk to somebody who only talks to himself….
& only hears what HE is saying.
Just caught a wee bit of SSB when Roger Hannah and Jim Delahunt asked by a bun what’s the scoop between Green and Murray.
They both seemed to know a fair bit of what’s happening but cannot comment!
FFS…..They claim to be journalists.
I thought journalists sought out news stories for scoops rather than wait on permission to speak. Anyway the good news is Chuckles still being referred to as Charles. With some luck he’ll be with us for a while as they finally hit the rocks.
Kojo, ah huv come tae the conclusion that ah didnae ken masel!. So, ahm heading ootside furra puff, whereby ah shall be staunding in the yard ootside, wae naebuddy near me, masel, wastin ma time as weel as ma health. Mibbe that’s zonal marking. Staunding in space daen sod all wasting time.
Tnt
Still thinking
KK-Somebody will be on soon to keep him company……..
Kojo.
I’m sure you no what zonal marking is.
If not…each player is allocated an area of the penalty box which is their responsibility to defend.
I’m not a fan of it as you can have a defender who’s 5’10 against a forward of 6’2 and having the benefit of a run at the ball.
Twists n Turns
Ye may hivnae quite described Zonal Marking, tae Ma satisfaction.
But..
Ye hiv shown me..
That ye hiv a Rare Sense of Humor..and a Great Imagination..
Excellent, Stuff.. Kiddo..’
And those Two Qualitees… are whit.. mak an Interesting and delightfully..entertaining
Submission..
Ah like that.
Kojo
Still..Laughin’..
Jimmci,
Personality clash with Chuckles ( possible root cause financial shenanigans of chuck ). As Chuck is tee total , he is highlighting to the media , Murray is fond of a glass of wine or 2. Not sure it is true , but the media are more than happy to destroy the guys reputation via innuendo. The enemy within Donald Muir had the same trouble with Alistair Johnston, but he fought back via people like Michael Grant in the Herald.
HH
Having shafted so many creditors,inc Rapid,. ironic to think Chuckles could claim moral high ground…
Methinks he may be after. ” sell on ” fee should Jelly fish move on.. He was such a diver!
HH
Check out Spencie’s Fox Hat on Reporting Shortbread
Gordon J 18.19
Jimmy Calderwood a failed manager? Didn’t he get Aberdeen into the group stages of the UEFA League. That was the last time a Scottish club other than Celtic and the dead club achieved that level of success in Europe.
Sipsini
You are Correct..in as Much..
Ah THINK .that Ah know whit Zonal Markin is..
But, Ah am slowly beginning tae Realize.. that
Mebbe.. Ah Fail tae see.. whit Advantage it Allows us tae have.
But, Ah kin Sure, see. clearly.. Whit Type of DIS – Advantages..it
kin pit oor Defenders in.
As , you hiv pointed oot.. the Auld Fashioned? , method of Mano O Mano.. Marking.
Seems tae still be the Better of the Two.
After all..
If ye dinnae Stoap yer Opponent Getting tae the Ba First..in the Danger Area ..
Ye are ..
Liable tae regret it.
Mano o Mano Marking.. gies ye at least a Sporting.. or. Unsporting.. Chance.
tae Prevent that Happening.
Kojo
Still..Laughin’
Gotta Go , Joe..
See You Folks.
The Little Gentleman In The Black Velvet Waistcoat
i raise a glass to you sir.
The Little Gentleman In The Black Velvet Waistcoat
Hail Hail
79caps,
Calderwood has managed a whole host of clubs here and in Holland and won nothing.
Ya beauty
Fitba and the Brits
Gordon J
Most managers have won nothing. I wish someone else would get another Scottish team into the group stages of the Eurpa League. It would be of assistyance to Celtic.
gordon_j backing neil lennon
18:59 on 20 February, 2013
79caps,
Calderwood has managed a whole host of clubs here and in Holland and won nothing.
>>>>>>>>>
Ye been well tanned.
Did Chuckles not say in his prospectus that he paid all the footballing debt ?