The effort of powerful clubs to consolidate their power, or the way to make the Premier League more attractive? The design of traditional large clubs, led by Liverpool and Manchester United, sparked a heated debate in England about the future shape of the billion-dollar competition.
Representatives of Liverpool and Manchester United came up with a proposal to reform English football. The most significant change mentioned in the document is the reduction of the number of teams in the competition from 20 to 18.
Both big clubs also want to cancel two home cups, which would reduce the total number of matches played during the season. Specifically, it would be the cancellation of the League Cup and the Super Cup.
Not surprisingly, the revolutionary proposal came across. Premier League officials, the government and fans do not like the change plans. On the contrary, the representatives of the second highest competition (Championship) supported them.
The project called Big Picture caused disappointment also because 14 of the 20 clubs in the highest competition did not know about it before its escape to the public (via the Daily Mail).
The main architect of the design is the Liverpool-owned Fenway Sports Group, which is openly supported by Manchester United. This is not a shot in the dark, the initiators secured the support of the Championship clubs in advance.
Simply put, it’s something for something. The big clubs would gain more control over what happened in the top league, and in exchange they would share some of the astronomical gains with the clubs in the second league. “Great idea,” said Championship Chief Rick Parry.
The second league, which would have 24 teams left, would, according to the proposal, receive 25 percent of the annual income from the Premier League and an immediate payment of £ 250 million to the rescue fund.
Negotiations on the rescue package definitely disrupted the information on the Big Picture. Government officials involved in the preparation of rescue measures are concerned about “acting behind closed doors, which can have a devastating effect on the perception of all football.”
According to the leadership of the highest competition, some of the proposed steps could be detrimental to English football. “English football is the most watched in the world and has a dynamic and competitive league structure that arouses interest around the world,” Premier League officials said in a statement.
According to them, it is necessary to discuss more possible changes. “To maintain this position, we all need to work together. The Premier League and the Football Association support a wide-ranging debate on the future of the game, including its competitive structures, calendar and funding, especially with regard to the impact of coronavirus. Football has many stakeholders. it was supposed to be done through the right channels that would allow everyone to contribute, “they said.
According to the proposal, nine clubs would have a special voting right in the new Premier League format when dealing with certain issues. These teams would be determined by the length of their time in the competition.
Critics point out that this rule would again favor some Premier League clubs, especially the biggest ones. According to the proposed rule, the longest running clubs in the competition are currently: Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton, Southampton and West Ham.
The British Minister of Culture and Sport, Oliver Dowden, also opposed it.
He fears it is an attempt by clubs to seize power. “I’m a little skeptical about that. If these behind-the-scenes deals continue, we’ll have to look at basic football management. After what I’ve seen, it seems even more urgent,” he told Sky News.
It is not without interest that the initiative of changes in English football came from Liverpool. In the past, coach Jürgen Klopp has repeatedly criticized, for example, an overly busy calendar of English competitions and did not hesitate to send a junior team to retaliate for the cup.
The specific form of the proposal only became known over the weekend, so the discussion is just beginning. If the proposal succeeded, at least in part, and some innovations passed, it would change the shape of English football as we know it now.
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