QuoteAnd will the competition generate that much extra money given that (a) it's clashing with the Europa League and (b) Spurs would almost certainly have reached the EL group stage anyway?
Will Spurs take the Conference group stages seriously ? Hard to tell.Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Will their games be televised in England anyway regardless ? Undoubtedly. Even if only on Channel 5 (Though I'd expect one of the Sky channels to want them).
Last edited by EatYerGreens; 13/08/2021 at 12:49 PM.
And will the competition generate that much extra money given that (a) it's clashing with the Europa League and (b) Spurs would almost certainly have reached the EL group stage anyway?
Winning a European Tournament is a rare and wonderful thing even for the biggest clubs.
Also whoever wins the conference is automatically qualified for the Europa League Group stages next year.
For sure the likes of Spurs will manage their squad in the early games and try to coast through the groups into the knock out stages but they have the squads to do it.
Look at Arsenal last year a reserve team playing that were almost on a par with a miss firing first team.
I'm just praying we get there
Re will it generate more money given its clashing with the EL?
It will undoubtedly generate some extra revenue as TV companies (even RTE) will give money to televise games featuring top or mid level teams but that's not even really the point.
The CL TV money from having more matches with bigger teams and less minnows involved is much greater so the ECL and EL are effectively just the support act for the CL and support acts dont have to cover the costs just keep the audience entertained before the main event while being subsidised from the top table.
Last edited by sbgawa; 13/08/2021 at 12:57 PM.
Virgin Media have the rights for the conference league in Ireland so if Rovers go through they'll be broadcast there.
I thought the conference league was a way of clearing out teams from the weaker leagues earlier to make Europa / CL qualifiers more attractive. But guaranteeing money for the tournament (presumably some diverted from europa / CL?) is effectively keeping them happy
Which is the point. These things are tied up way in advance - before it's even known which teams will be in it nevermind what squad pick they'll have for it. But TV companies are still willing to pay for it. Because European club football undoubtedly has broadcast value. Obviously the CL will be worth more than the Conference in that regard, but that's not exactly news to anyone.
Yeah it streamlines the EL (48 teams down to 32) but adds 32 with the ECL.
So 16 extra european group stage places in total for lower placed leagues that can qualify through Champions Pathway. Thats 16 tranches of €3m to all the lower/mid tier leagues in Europe that probably wouldn't have gotten before.
Rovers would have been out in the old system having lost our first CL qualifier round to Slovan for instance.
Thats my understanding of it at least!
But it's not the full point. Paul's concern was about the long-term viability of the competition. Yes, rights have been sold, but for how much? Is a competition with few big names which directly clashes with a bigger competition of the same format going to bring in enough money to wipe its feet? If it won't, will it be worth UEFA's while keeping it going?
Irish/Latvian/Luxembourg sides in the group stage isn't a great USP for most people
Of course, if kicking the smaller clubs out of the Champions*/Europa League bumps up the global TV value by €200m a year, then you can fob off the smaller clubs with a competition that loses €100m a year. (Hypothetical numbers of course)
* - although actually, this hasn't changed the Champions League at all as far as I can see.
Last edited by pineapple stu; 13/08/2021 at 1:45 PM.
I'd agree with this. English clubs not caring about the EL group stages is very much the exception. I've always got the impression that pretty much every other country is very seriously about European matches, even if it's "just" the EL group stages.
PL teams have become so rich that EL groups don't mean much but for almost every other league that's not the case. Spanish teams have always taken the EL very seriously and they've probably been the 2nd richest league after the PL for the last while.
You'll have to lend us all your crystal ball when you're finished with itBeyond that, it's a pointless debate to be pursuing at this stage.
While that's probably true, it's still likely to be another little hit for the rights value.
Prize money for the Conference League is around €200m (CL is around a billion). OK, some of that is a saving from the EL. But still, the question as to whether a third-tier tournament which directly clashes with the second-tier one is viable is a valid one, I think.
Welcome to the internet; you must be new here.
You were quite happy pursuing the debate yourself before now.
UEFA and the European Clubs Association have been trying to filter money down to the lower leagues and this was one way of doing it and also trying to appease the top top teams by making the CL more Elite as they were always threatening to pull away and form a super league (and then did try to).
Its not a completely binary issue in terms of making money / not making money and is seen as a redistribution in some ways and part of UEFA's overall mission of widening the Football pyramid.
Other than the Bundesliga redistribution in Europe has been fought by the other big leagues and is one of the reasons the top top clubs arent happy with UEFA as they want redistribution as well but in the other directionmore upwards
Yeah, that does make some sense alright. OK, it has the starting point that UEFA give a damn about the leagues in Ireland and Malta and Gibraltar, but then the smaller clubs already get €200k+ per tie they play, which is way more than they actually contribute to the competitions, and all credit to UEFA for that.
Although you get the feeling then that the Conference League is always at potential risk of the bigger clubs getting more power and stopping it. (You can see a future pawn in the Superleague game being "OK, we'll cancel the Conference League if ye'll stay").
I actually think its more likely to be make the EL and ECL bigger and th Champions league (AKA Superleague) smaller.
The recent breakaway attempt went so badly though that it might be put off for a while
I think thats the nail on the head but CL bigger in potential revenue, The ECL itself isnt going to generate much in terms of revenue but that is being balanced by eroding numbers in the upper tiers meaning more regular games between top sides, which will likely increase revenue overall. Bar having an interesting in a particular club for quite a while people only really tuned in to even CL during the knockout phases as football fatigue had kicked in and as for EL the round of 32 people skimmed results also. Tricking with formats, changing the UEFA Cup to EL and now this seems like trying to accommodate a few of the biggest leagues but leave something for the best of the rest too. The ECL seems like a supercharged Intertoto cup, but if we as a league can benefit with access to all 3 tiers thats fine - better than when champions couldnt get in to champions league. Maybe wishful traditionalist thinking but as a competition that could possibly stand alone and garner general interest, reduce numbers in other comps would be the reintroduction of the CWC. Clubs from the likes of the EPL will try and coast the ECL with reserves and youths until they look like they might win it ala League Cup. One way to mitigate against that would be to have winners qualify for CL and maybe r-up/semi finalists going in to EL. Wont matter to us much but getting clubs to buy in to the newer structures is as important as grabbing the publics and broadcasters interest. If not like the old intertoto clubs like Spurs could opt not to compete except to be able to get reserves and injured players competative football.
Last edited by Nesta99; 13/08/2021 at 4:51 PM.
The Conference League ticks a few boxes for UEFA and the bigger clubs. Smaller clubs are kept out of the EL to make it more attractive for bigger clubs. Smaller clubs benefit from more games offered in the Conference. 3rd placed teams parachute in after the Europa group stage to offer them the chance of more financial gain. In a few years, the likes of Tottenham will start in the group stage as opposed to the playoff round. UEFA have been down this road before. Bigger clubs get more guarantees and less uncertainty.
Just enjoy it while it's here folks and tell your friends it's great. Who knows, maybe people will get on board. It doesn't need to be on prime time Sky to survive and if it starts generating a bit of buzz in countries who've historically been starved of the romance of a European run then it may find a home on ESPN 8 "the Ocho" or a renewed Eirsport and that would be fine by me.
I sense a growing dissatisfaction with "elite football" among the people I know. Maybe there's room for something more genuine. Maybe even Irish people will start looking at the matchup between their best and Greece's best as more interesting that some oil baron's playthings facing off against each other. Bohs ticket sales would give at least a small indication that there's a buzz growing. We really need to stop judging success on the basis of whether or not English club teams are involved. Nobody who loves football really wants the Super League and that's the bed they've made.
so close for Dundalk on Thursday and in all my 14 Euro campaigns following them that performance was right up with the best.
Dummigan is some player. But every player was on bomb thursday night.
No word yet on the crowd for the Playoff round.
I'm assuming it will be a "pilot" event at 1500, no tickets on sale yet
Did RTE commit to showing the play off?
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