With recent talk of a European club super-league, Jamie Allen discusses what it could mean for Wolves.
UEFA in recent years have attempted it would seem to reinvent the wheel that is European football.
Firstly in the 2016 European Championships by extending the number of teams to 24 creating a whole new system with weaker teams happy to play for draws and miraculously still getting through the group stages with three draws from three games. In fact the eventual champions, Portugal did so whereas in previous tournaments their results would have seen them take an early flight home to Lisbon.
Secondly and more recently the UEFA Nations league. This format is still in process so for me, the jury is still out on this one. However it certainly caused mass confusion around the country and to be honest do we really still know what on earth the outcome is? However, I would agree it does add an extra incentive when points are up for grabs even though nations are still rotating their squads just like they would in an International Friendly.
Now for the latest revelation, the UEFA Super League! Yes, really, a super league. This is the concept which involves the top teams from the top leagues in Europe competing together in a completely separate league away from the Premier League. So for example, take the top 5 or 6 teams in England, the top 4 in Spain, top 4 in Germany and so on. Put them in a Super League to face each other and let the other normal domestic leagues continue on without them.
This may sound like the most farfetched idea yet and the Premier League will almost certainly not agree to this but imagine if this wasn’t the case and the Super League came to fruition. What teams would reign supreme in England? To answer that I wouldn’t be too sure, the league would certainly be closer year after year and one of those teams around the top may well in fact be Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The new English Division One would see a huge loss in international TV rights and the rest of what comes with being in the Premier League but if owners stick with their clubs and businesses it wouldn’t be hard to imagine the league still be extremely competitive. With Wolves’ owners being very transparent in this case I wouldn’t see
their ambitions derailing but may in fact be more motivated to conquer the new English league before entering the Super League and continuing the charge from there.
It could also be argued that this would also force teams to invest and rely more on their own home grown British talent which in time would be a huge plus for the home nations on a world stage. It sounds like an interesting concept and it would be great to look through the curtain on what might be if this League were to ever start.
So what if it happens? The elite from Europe battle it out whilst Wolves start to pave their way to English domestic success. What happens if Wolves get into the Super League? What happens to the local fans who have witnessed the clubs many ups and downs? Would we be in fear of losing our clubs identity?
These are just a few questions which make me oppose such a notion. It’s no lie that football, especially in the Premier League is being shaped around a wider audience from further afield. Which is why we now see games played on Friday night, early and late Saturday, Sunday and Monday night.
My biggest fear would be if Wolves were enter such a league after national success we would lose a main fan base who could no longer afford to go to games especially for those who like an away day. A cheap return flight to Madrid sounds exciting but just wouldn’t be sustainable for your common ‘mukka’ or ‘ar kid’.
Taking this whole discussion with a considerable pinch of salt a possible Super League could certainly open a gap for teams such as Wolves to start believing there is a way to reach the summit of the England and all the royalties which come with it. However if the Wolves were to ever take the step into the mythical realm of the Super League I fear it would create a cannon sized gap between loyal fans and the club as it ventures forward into Europe.
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