You sometimes walk alone

LAST weekend, there were talks about the formation of a European Super League (ESL).  Twelve European powerhouse clubs had initially signed to join the ESL - six English, three Spanish, and three Italian.   Representing England were Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur. Spain had Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona, and waving the Italian flag were Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan.
 
The initial plan was that at the start of next season, these twelve clubs would compete in an elite mid-week competition. This tournament format angered football fans immensely, as they perceived the ESL to be just about money rather than growing the sport.   
 
Even though the plan was shelved on Tuesday this week - 20th April 2021 - as most of all the twelve clubs withdrew, many football fans were outraged by such a proposal. I personally saw some very creative response postings on social media this week e.g. “The rich get richer” and “Robbing from the poor to give to the rich, Robin Hood you are not.”  As you can see, I did not quote some of the foul language that was also used in these posts.
 
Let us not forget that in the English Premier League (EPL), no matter the size and strength of the competing club - each team has a chance to earn some money through the league and television broadcast.  The participating clubs are given an equal share of £31.8m from the domestic TV deal, with an extra facility fee depending on how many times they are broadcasted. They also receive a £5m share of commercial revenue each, and an equal share of £43.2m each from overseas TV rights.
 
Some of the money earned is invested into the clubs grassroots programs. Many fans believe that if the ESL went ahead, grassroots football funding would have been severely affected, making it more difficult to develop the future football generations.
 
Yes, we always sing the Liverpool Football Club song that in this sport you never walk alone.  However, for the twelve club owners that expressed interest in joining the ESL, they definitely walked alone this week amongst their respective club fans. 
 
I was very fortunate to catch Queens Park Rangers owner, Tony Fernandes, for a comment regarding this matter.  Tony said, “This ESL talk has been festering for a while now. Football authorities need to look at the whole pyramid scheme. The bigger clubs want more money at the expense of the smaller clubs. If you look at it carefully, the EPL is a breakaway league but at least it has a relegation system. In the ESL, you can't get relegated. The reaction of the fans proves that they want equality. Like I said, the system needs to be closely looked at.”
 
Even though these twelve European football tycoons gave us all a scare and something new to talk about, this saga is far from over.  Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, said on Friday this week, “We are going to continue working. This project is on standby.” 
 
So standby for some more football drama!  When things get dramatic and a bit theatrical, I will always say to the respective groups or individuals involved, “May no force ever harm you, and let the force of values and ethics always guide you.” - The Vibes. April 25, 2021
 
Ben Ibrahim is a TV Commentator, PR & Sports Consultant, and Mental Toughness Trainer.  In his career, he has worked for Foxsports, FIBA, FISU, The Ministry of Youth & Sports Malaysia, and the Malaysia Valke Rugby Club (Global Rapid Rugby).
 
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