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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Zonal marking…
only absolute fools would have difficulty understanding that
leftclicktic
17:47 on
20 February, 2013
Cheers mate.
Excuse my typos please.
I cannot see this Milan side even scoring a goal against Barcelona tonight.
TMWTL
W.y.p. remind me of the 1st leg score?
Many thanks.
Milan v Barcelona game tonight an 80,000 sell-out with gate receipts of €4.36 million apparently.
3-1 Barca is my prediction.
HH!!
Tallybhoy
Glory hunters!!!
starry plough
Exactly!
Milan’s average home attendance in the league is about 40,000!
HH!!
the battered bunnet :15:05 on20 February, 2013
“Heading an old style bootlace bladder during a game played in the rain or on a puddle strewn playground risked traumatic brain injury.”
>>>>>>>
Hence the state I’m in !
: > ))
TMWTL
I hope the Rossoneri score a goal
Scotland’s finest refereeing both CL games tonight – Thomson and Gollum!
Tallybhoy
The mineshafters on Milan Quick News will be having a field day…
So that’s a football club and Ticketus, to name but 2 creditors, pursuing the zombies for millions ……. That should prove my monicker to be ‘near the mark’….?
They can only be pursuing their money via BDO, and the only way BDO can meet these claims is by selling the assets…….mmmmmmmmm…. Are the dominoes going to start following soon?
Is this why all is quiet on the Liquidation / LL front….and a possible rift within the zombies2 bored……..one can only live in hope and pray
starry
I know a few Milan Quick News mineshafters!
I have told them ‘tho that if they adopt the same tactics that we did they should be all right.
HH!!
Yo Kojo, may I have the temerity to ask where you live……..not yer akshul address, but general urban environs?
HH!
EDB@19:12
This is the 1st leg.
This has to be the poorest Milan side i have ever seen.
Barcelona’s biggest threat tonight will not be the Milan team, but their pitch which is a disgrace.
Think Fir Park.
tomtheleedstim :17:12 on20 February, 2013
Bourne – do you live near here http://i.imgur.com/KoyX2bY.png
>>>>>>
That looks like someone getting a proper shakedown outside a methadone clinic!
pmsl !
: > )))))))
TMWTL
This is indeed the poorest Milan side in a very long time.
HH!!
Zonal marking is just plain stupid. Never seen it work properly.
Tin hat donned.
The Little Gentleman In The Black Velvet Waistcoat
Nice to see you back on a coupla times recently. I always enjoyed your posts,and wondered where you had disappeared to. Along with one or two others,I may add.
Get back to posting regularly,yer missed!
TMWTL
Cheers mate. I should have known!
Not a fan of zonal marking but the stats this season show otherwise.
Zonal marking is very effective if you have defenders who know what they are doing.
Defenders with pace who can also tackle can make all the difference.
Simple really.
HH!!
Miki – on politics and on football I generally agree with you, but on zonal marking – nope, statistically it’s the safest way to defend.
Man to man is too open to error. Zonal denies space in the box from the first kick of the ball. Man to man allows defenders to drag defenders out of the area they wish to defend and in to which strikers o big centre halfs are likely to run in to to score.
Zonal for me every time (with a touch of man to man from penalty spot to 18 yard line to accompany runners in to the area where they will meet zonal defenders…….
Fair enuff on the zonal.
ACM v FCB calls.
HH!
Twist n Turns,
Fantastic explanations of Zonal Marking. Perhaps you could do a new weekly slot in a similar styley that explains different footballing tactics and formations etc – Known as ‘Twist’s TacTICs’ ? I am sure that people like Kojo who rarely see or have ever seen any live football would really appreciate it!
Next week, The 5 5 formation with special guest Craig Levein :)
Hail hail,
sTICks
Will be interesting to see if Thomson refs this a la SPL, or as a European ref.
Should be interesting.
I expect Collum to favour the home team in Istanbul.
Quote from the Beeb:
“Dundee, who finished second in last season’s First Division, were admitted to the top flight to take up the place vacated by Rangers, who lost their spot due to financial problems.”
and here’s silly old moi thinking that it was because they done and died…
Milan are my favourite Italian team – but I honestly think they will get pumped tonight!
HH!!
Zonal marking is very effective when it works.
Scottish Refs doing alright so far
It´s TurkTelecom against Gazprom in Istanbul.
The TIFO by the Milan fans was impressive.
Never insult an Italian baker. He’ll beat the focaccia.
What did Craig Thomson have fur his tea the night I wonder?
Horsemeat perhaps?
HH!!
Turks 1 up