jsbach
10-01-2000, 08:23:AM
Any thoughts on this?
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Pressure mounts on big two to quit SPL
By Fraser Mackie and David Walker
The Old Firm will be called to a crunch summit meeting within the next two months to discuss the
Dutch-inspired plot for 16 top northern European clubs to resign from their own leagues and establish
a lucrative new championship.
Rangers and Celtic have been reluctant to contemplate breaking away from the SPL and become
part of the much-wanted North Atlantic League set up.
But the pressure is about to increase for the thorny matter to be discussed before the end of the
season as several clubs are keen to introduce the tournament by 2002.
PSV Eindhoven president Harry van Raaij, in his New Year speech on Thursday, announced his
team's intention to leave the Dutch First Division and help create an innovative league for major
clubs that operate outwith the 'Big Five' - Italy, Spain, Germany, France and England.
And PSV's manager Frank Arnesen confirmed to Soccernet last night that the Old Firm will be asked
to attend a special meeting of all potential participants, where they will discuss whether clubs will
need to resign from their national leagues in order to join - setting Rangers and Celtic a real poser.
He said: 'We'll be in touch with Scottish clubs because, of course, we want them to join. We are
prepared to resign from the Dutch League but we must find out what other clubs want to do.
'A true European league will never happen because the big five are happy with their TV money and
everything else.
'So what we want to establish is the sixth league in Europe, made up of teams from Holland,
Denmark, Portugal and elsewhere.
'It is the only way for small countries to keep up with the results of the big teams in the Champions
League. They are so far ahead because of the money stream from TV.
'What we can do is make our market bigger and more interesting for TV and we can do that by
combining these domestic leagues into a fresh set up.'
Other candidate clubs for the proposed league are Danish side Brondby, Norwegians Rosenborg,
Belgian sides Club Brugge and Anderlecht, Portugal's Porto and Benfica, plus Panathinaikos of
Greece.
'It is very likely that a number of Germany's Bundeslige clubs will join this league, too,' added Van
Raij. 'This European league is no longer a pipe dream. It is reality.
'Financial powers now rule over legal structures. Football federations will not be able to keep the
clubs in domestic leagues in Scotland, Belgium or Denmark.
'The clubs have no future at national level.
'All major clubs in Europe have become major companies and are developing according to the laws
of economics. Noone can stop that.'
Van Raij has been conducting talks with the Glasgow clubs, as well as other interested parties, over
the past two years.
He intends to press ahead with his blueprint outside the authority of UEFA and FIFA. Jan Timmer,
who recently resigned as president-director of electronics giant Philips, to become chief executive of
the company's 'works team', PSV Eindhoven, said: 'UEFA and FIFA are going to collapse under the
pressure of the clubs.
'It will not be possible for them to keep the system going that Europe has had over the last 40 years.'
The major Dutch clubs recognise that, in financial terms, they are falling behind their rivals in
England and Italy. Van Raij added: 'The exposure of this new league will be similar to the English
Premier League and Italy's Serie A.'
Van Raij 's vision includes a play-off series at the end of the mini-league campaigns to decide the
true champions of Europe. 'There will be eight European leagues,' he said. 'The English
Premiership, Serie A in Italy and the Spanish League will stay independent.
'We will have five new leagues set up to combine, for instance, clubs from Holland and Scotland with
Denmark. France with Switzerland and a nothern Scandinavian section featuring the Swedes, Finns
and Norwegians.
'Via a play-off system, the top clubs from each league will eventually decide the League champions
of Europe. The Champions League will not be attacked by this new set-up. It will still be seen as the
cup tournament of Europe.'
Van Raij strongly attacked the power of FIFA and UEFA. 'They organise world and European
tournaments and enjoy enormous income from ticket sales, television revenue and sponsorship. But
the clubs have to supply their players for free and during those major tournaments we have to keep
paying astronomical wages.
'This unbearable situation will no longer be tolerated by us.'
**************************
Pressure mounts on big two to quit SPL
By Fraser Mackie and David Walker
The Old Firm will be called to a crunch summit meeting within the next two months to discuss the
Dutch-inspired plot for 16 top northern European clubs to resign from their own leagues and establish
a lucrative new championship.
Rangers and Celtic have been reluctant to contemplate breaking away from the SPL and become
part of the much-wanted North Atlantic League set up.
But the pressure is about to increase for the thorny matter to be discussed before the end of the
season as several clubs are keen to introduce the tournament by 2002.
PSV Eindhoven president Harry van Raaij, in his New Year speech on Thursday, announced his
team's intention to leave the Dutch First Division and help create an innovative league for major
clubs that operate outwith the 'Big Five' - Italy, Spain, Germany, France and England.
And PSV's manager Frank Arnesen confirmed to Soccernet last night that the Old Firm will be asked
to attend a special meeting of all potential participants, where they will discuss whether clubs will
need to resign from their national leagues in order to join - setting Rangers and Celtic a real poser.
He said: 'We'll be in touch with Scottish clubs because, of course, we want them to join. We are
prepared to resign from the Dutch League but we must find out what other clubs want to do.
'A true European league will never happen because the big five are happy with their TV money and
everything else.
'So what we want to establish is the sixth league in Europe, made up of teams from Holland,
Denmark, Portugal and elsewhere.
'It is the only way for small countries to keep up with the results of the big teams in the Champions
League. They are so far ahead because of the money stream from TV.
'What we can do is make our market bigger and more interesting for TV and we can do that by
combining these domestic leagues into a fresh set up.'
Other candidate clubs for the proposed league are Danish side Brondby, Norwegians Rosenborg,
Belgian sides Club Brugge and Anderlecht, Portugal's Porto and Benfica, plus Panathinaikos of
Greece.
'It is very likely that a number of Germany's Bundeslige clubs will join this league, too,' added Van
Raij. 'This European league is no longer a pipe dream. It is reality.
'Financial powers now rule over legal structures. Football federations will not be able to keep the
clubs in domestic leagues in Scotland, Belgium or Denmark.
'The clubs have no future at national level.
'All major clubs in Europe have become major companies and are developing according to the laws
of economics. Noone can stop that.'
Van Raij has been conducting talks with the Glasgow clubs, as well as other interested parties, over
the past two years.
He intends to press ahead with his blueprint outside the authority of UEFA and FIFA. Jan Timmer,
who recently resigned as president-director of electronics giant Philips, to become chief executive of
the company's 'works team', PSV Eindhoven, said: 'UEFA and FIFA are going to collapse under the
pressure of the clubs.
'It will not be possible for them to keep the system going that Europe has had over the last 40 years.'
The major Dutch clubs recognise that, in financial terms, they are falling behind their rivals in
England and Italy. Van Raij added: 'The exposure of this new league will be similar to the English
Premier League and Italy's Serie A.'
Van Raij 's vision includes a play-off series at the end of the mini-league campaigns to decide the
true champions of Europe. 'There will be eight European leagues,' he said. 'The English
Premiership, Serie A in Italy and the Spanish League will stay independent.
'We will have five new leagues set up to combine, for instance, clubs from Holland and Scotland with
Denmark. France with Switzerland and a nothern Scandinavian section featuring the Swedes, Finns
and Norwegians.
'Via a play-off system, the top clubs from each league will eventually decide the League champions
of Europe. The Champions League will not be attacked by this new set-up. It will still be seen as the
cup tournament of Europe.'
Van Raij strongly attacked the power of FIFA and UEFA. 'They organise world and European
tournaments and enjoy enormous income from ticket sales, television revenue and sponsorship. But
the clubs have to supply their players for free and during those major tournaments we have to keep
paying astronomical wages.
'This unbearable situation will no longer be tolerated by us.'