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      What is the European Super League, which clubs have signed up, how will it work & will Champions League still exist?

      by

      THE Premier League has been rocked after members of its ‘Big Six’ declared their intent to join a European Super League.Manchester United, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all involved in the plot, which has been blasted by Gary Neville as “criminal”.

      Fans will be keen to know what is being laid out, how it would work and the impact any breakaway would have.
      SunSport explains the plans, as they stand – and the hurdles that have to be overcome:
      What is the European Super League?
      A 20-team breakaway league with matches to be played midweek and an end of season play-off to determine the winners, with a provisional kick-off from the start of the 2022-23 season.
      In addition to the 15 founding clubs, who cannot be relegated from the closed-shop elite, five clubs will be entitled to qualify each season.
      All matches will be played in midweek slots, with the clubs insistent they will be able to continue to play in their domestic leagues and “preserve the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game”.
      The 20 clubs will be split into two groups of 10, playing 18 games – nine home and nine away – with the top three in each group qualifying automatically for the last eight knock-out stage.
      Teams finishing fourth and fifth in each group will then play off to fill the final two knock-out slots, with the ties played over two legs apart from a one-off final “which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue”.
      Which clubs would play in it?
      England will have the largest contingent, with Liverpool and United joined by Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs.
      Among the remaining 12 ‘founder members’, Spain would supply Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona as well as Juventus, Inter and AC Milan from Italy.
      It is unclear how the five additional teams will be selected each year.
      What would be the format of the league?
      It is envisaged that the teams will play each other home and away in a midweek league, with four from each group involved in the end of season play-offs.
      Will they play in their domestic leagues?
      That’s the plan. At least, for now.
      How does it all fit in to a standard football season?
      That is the big question.
      The Premier League’s 38-game season is already squeezed into a 34-week window and there would now be an EXTRA 34 games for each of the five selected Prem teams to fit in.
      Reducing the Prem to 18 clubs, as envisaged in Project Big Picture – an element backed by all the Big Six – would create some wriggle room, as would scrapping the League Cup.
      But Prem sides are mandated to play in the FA Cup.
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      Is there room for any other games?
      Other than an early start and a late finish, no.
      Until 2024-25, when the new international match calendar – still being worked on by Fifa – comes into operation.
      One plan that gained support was for three four-game international windows – in November, March and June – each year, opening up the entire autumn part of the season for extra club matches.
      How much would clubs be paid?
      A huge £3.1billion fund was being formulated by the competition’s organisers, which was to be split between the 15 founder clubs.
      The payment, ranging from £89m to £310m, was reportedly described as an ‘infrastructure grant’ to spend on stadiums, training facilities and account for lost pandemic revenue.
      The Glazers own Man Utd, one of the teams touted as potential members
      What would a European Super League mean for the Champions League?
      Curtains – which is why Uefa will fight tooth and nail to kill the plot stone dead.
      If Europe’s biggest 18 clubs go it alone, the Champions League – let alone the Europa League – will plummet in commercial value, devastating European football’s economic model.
      Will the Champions League still exist?
      This was the unknown when the plans were announced, but what was clear is that the 12 rebel clubs – and any others who joined the Super League – would not be playing in it.
      It is also not known whether the Champions League or domestic leagues would be used to decide the five qualifiers for the European Super League.
      What would be the impact on the Premier League?
      Not so much in the immediate term – but significant in the longer term.
      The “top four” race will be rendered redundant if there is a closed shop Super League, which will have an impact on future TV rights sales, although there will still be the appeal of the Big Six playing their domestic matches.
      But the financial disparity between the elite and the rest will become a gaping chasm that will make the Prem utterly uncompetitive – unless the big boys prioritise the new European Premier League and play shadow sides at home, which, of course, will make the Prem even less appealing to the broadcasters.
      This is arguably the best XI of players who as it stands would play in the European Super League

      Will it really go ahead?
      On Sunday, Uefa, the English Football Association, the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), LaLiga, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A released a joint statement condemning the plans.
      Should the domestic associations not give their blessing for clubs to join the league, they could be booted out of all domestic competitions.
      Clubs have also been warned that their players could be ineligible for international football if they join a breakaway league.
      Uefa are expected to confirm the details of the new-look Champions League to take effect from the 2024-25 season in the next few months.
      On Monday, Uefa approved their new 36-team Champions League format which starts in 2024.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds More

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      European Super League explained: Which clubs involved, how many matches will be played and what about Champions League?

      by

      THE Premier League has been rocked after members of its ‘Big Six’ signalled their intent to join a European Super League.Manchester United, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all involved in the plot, which has been blasted by Gary Neville as “criminal”.

      Fans will be keen to know what is being laid out, how it would work and the impact any breakaway would have.
      SunSport explains the plans, as they stand – and the hurdles that have to be overcome:
      What is the European Super League?
      A 20-team breakaway league with matches to be played midweek and an end of season play-off to determine the winners, with a provisional kick-off from the start of the 2022-23 season.
      In addition to the 15 founding clubs, who cannot be relegated from the closed-shop elite, five clubs will be entitled to qualify each season.
      All matches will be played in midweek slots, with the clubs insistent they will be able to continue to play in their domestic leagues and “preserve the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game”.
      The 20 clubs will be split into two groups of 10, playing 18 games – nine home and nine away – with the top three in each group qualifying automatically for the last eight knock-out stage.
      Teams finishing fourth and fifth in each group will then play off to fill the final two knock-out slots, with the ties played over two legs apart from a one-off final “which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue”.
      Which clubs would play in it?
      England will have the largest contingent, with Liverpool and United joined by Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs.
      Among the remaining 12 ‘founder members’, Spain would supply Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona as well as Juventus, Inter and AC Milan from Italy.
      It is unclear how the five additional teams will be selected each year.
      What would be the format of the league?
      It is envisaged that the teams will play each other home and away in a midweek league, with four from each group involved in the end of season play-offs.
      Will they play in their domestic leagues?
      That’s the plan. At least, for now.

      ⚽ ⚽ EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE LATEST ⚽ ⚽

      How does it all fit in to a standard football season?
      That is the big question.
      The Premier League’s 38-game season is already squeezed into a 34-week window and there would now be an EXTRA 34 games for each of the five selected Prem teams to fit in.
      Reducing the Prem to 18 clubs, as envisaged in Project Big Picture – an element backed by all the Big Six – would create some wriggle room, as would scrapping the League Cup.
      But Prem sides are mandated to play in the FA Cup.
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      Is there room for any other games?
      Other than an early start and a late finish, no.
      Until 2024-25, when the new international match calendar – still being worked on by Fifa – comes into operation.
      One plan that gained support was for three four-game international windows – in November, March and June – each year, opening up the entire autumn part of the season for extra club matches.
      How much would clubs be paid?
      A huge £3.1billion fund was being formulated by the competition’s organisers, which was to be split between the 15 founder clubs.
      The payment, ranging from £89m to £310m, was reportedly described as an ‘infrastructure grant’ to spend on stadiums, training facilities and account for lost pandemic revenue.
      The Glazers own Man Utd, one of the teams touted as potential members
      What would a European Super League mean for the Champions League?
      Curtains – which is why Uefa will fight tooth and nail to kill the plot stone dead.
      If Europe’s biggest 18 clubs go it alone, the Champions League – let alone the Europa League – will plummet in commercial value, devastating European football’s economic model.
      What would be the impact on the Premier League?
      Not so much in the immediate term – but significant in the longer term.
      The “top four” race will be rendered redundant if there is a closed shop Super League, which will have an impact on future TV rights sales, although there will still be the appeal of the Big Six playing their domestic matches.
      But the financial disparity between the elite and the rest will become a gaping chasm that will make the Prem utterly uncompetitive – unless the big boys prioritise the new European Premier League and play shadow sides at home, which, of course, will make the Prem even less appealing to the broadcasters.
      This is arguably the best XI of players who as it stands would play in the European Super League

      Will it really go ahead?
      On Sunday, Uefa, the English Football Association, the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), LaLiga, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A released a joint statement condemning the plans.
      Should the domestic associations not give their blessing for clubs to join the league, they could be booted out of all domestic competitions.
      Clubs have also been warned that their players could be ineligible for international football if they join a breakaway league.
      Uefa are expected to confirm the details of the new-look Champions League to take effect from the 2024-25 season in the next few months.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds More

    • 225 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      European Super League explained: Which clubs involved, how many matches would be played and what about Champions League?

      by

      THE Premier League has been rocked after members of its ‘Big Six’ signalled their intent to join a European Super League.Manchester United, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all involved in the plot, which has been blasted by Gary Neville as “criminal”.
      Real Madrid club president Florentino Perez had publicly backed the plans
      Fans will be keen to know what is being laid out, how it would work and the impact any breakaway would have.
      SunSport explains the plans, as they stand – and the hurdles that have to be overcome:
      What is the European Super League?
      A 20-team breakaway league with matches to be played midweek and an end of season play-off to determine the winners, with a provisional kick-off from the start of the 2022-23 season.
      In addition to the 15 founding clubs, who cannot be relegated from the closed-shop elite, five clubs will be entitled to qualify each season.
      All matches will be played in midweek slots, with the clubs insistent they will be able to continue to play in their domestic leagues and “preserve the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game”.
      The 20 clubs will be split into two groups of 10, playing 18 games – nine home and nine away – with the top three in each group qualifying automatically for the last eight knock-out stage.
      Teams finishing fourth and fifth in each group will then play off to fill the final two knock-out slots, with the ties played over two legs apart from a one-off final “which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue”.
      Which clubs would play in it?
      England will have the largest contingent, with Liverpool and United joined by Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs.
      Among the remaining 12 ‘founder members’, Spain would supply Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona as well as Juventus, Inter and AC Milan from Italy.
      It is expected Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain will complete the 15-strong closed shop.
      It is then unclear how the five additional teams will be selected each year.
      What would be the format of the league?
      It is envisaged that the teams will play each other home and away in a midweek league, with four from each group involved in the end of season play-offs.
      Will they play in their domestic leagues?
      That’s the plan. At least, for now.
      How does it all fit in to a standard football season?
      That is the big question.
      The Premier League’s 38-game season is already squeezed into a 34-week window and there would now be an EXTRA 34 games for each of the five selected Prem teams to fit in.
      Reducing the Prem to 18 clubs, as envisaged in Project Big Picture – an element backed by all the Big Six – would create some wriggle room, as would scrapping the League Cup.
      But Prem sides are mandated to play in the FA Cup.
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      Is there room for any other games?
      Other than an early start and a late finish, no.
      Until 2024-25, when the new international match calendar – still being worked on by Fifa – comes into operation.
      One plan that gained support was for three four-game international windows – in November, March and June – each year, opening up the entire autumn part of the season for extra club matches.
      How much would clubs be paid?
      A huge £3.1billion fund was being formulated by the competition’s organisers, which was to be split between the 15 founder clubs.
      The payment, ranging from £89m to £310m, was reportedly described as an ‘infrastructure grant’ to spend on stadiums, training facilities and account for lost pandemic revenue.
      The Glazers own Man Utd, one of the teams touted as potential members
      What would a European Super League mean for the Champions League?
      Curtains – which is why Uefa will fight tooth and nail to kill the plot stone dead.
      If Europe’s biggest 18 clubs go it alone, the Champions League – let alone the Europa League – will plummet in commercial value, devastating European football’s economic model.
      What would be the impact on the Premier League?
      Not so much in the immediate term – but significant in the longer term.
      The “top four” race will be rendered redundant if there is a closed shop Super League, which will have an impact on future TV rights sales, although there will still be the appeal of the Big Six playing their domestic matches.
      But the financial disparity between the elite and the rest will become a gaping chasm that will make the Prem utterly uncompetitive – unless the big boys prioritise the new European Premier League and play shadow sides at home, which, of course, will make the Prem even less appealing to the broadcasters.

      Will it really go ahead?
      On Sunday, Uefa, the English Football Association, the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), LaLiga, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A released a joint statement condemning the plans.
      Should the domestic associations not give their blessing for clubs to join the league, they could be booted out of all domestic competitions.
      Clubs have also been warned that their players could be ineligible for international football if they join a breakaway league.
      Uefa are expected to confirm the details of the new-look Champions League to take effect from the 2024-25 season in the next few months.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo risks Fifa sanction after Portugal captain threw armband to ground and stormed off pitch vs Serbia

      by

      CRISTIANO RONALDO could face a Fifa sanction for his furious reaction to the denial of Portugal’s winning goal against Serbia on Saturday night.Ronaldo poked the ball over the line in added time to seemingly give his side a 3-2 victory, only for the officials and absence of goalline technology to let the Juventus star down.
      Ronaldo’s effort clearly went over the line before Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic hooked it clear
      Ronaldo threw his captain’s armband on the floor after the controversial decisionCredit: AFP
      He then proceeded to storm off the pitch in a fit of rageCredit: Rex
      The goal was not given, leading to Ronaldo losing the plot, screaming at the assistant referee before throwing his captain’s armband to the floor and storming off the pitch.
      And Corriere dello Sport have now revealed that the Euro 2016 winner could receive a sanction from Fifa if they deem his reaction to be ‘offensive or violent conduct’.
      Article 11 in the Disciplinary Code reads: “Offensive conduct or violation of the principles of fair play” before going into more detail about what that entails.
      It says: “Associations and clubs, as well as their players, officials or any other member or person performing a function on their behalf, must comply with the Laws of the Game, the FIFA Statutes and the regulations, directives, guidelines, circulars and the decisions of FIFA; likewise, they must comply with the principles of fair play, loyalty and integrity.”
      It has not yet been confirmed whether or not Ronaldo has breached the rules of Article 11.
      If he is deemed guilty, Explica report that Article 12 then details the punishment, saying the ban could be ‘at least one match or an appropriate period of time for unsportsmanlike conduct towards an opponent or anyone other than a match official’.
      Former Portugal international Fernando Meira blasted Ronaldo after the match for his ‘unacceptable behaviour’ which ‘set a bad example’ for others.
      Following the decision, Portugal boss Fernando Santos revealed that the referee had apologised for the mistake.

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      He told RTP: “We scored a goal that was not given when the ball went in. In a match of this level, that isn’t possible.
      “The referee apologised to me in the booth and told me he was embarrassed. I was in the dressing room with him and apologised to me.
      “He had told me on the pitch that he was going to see the images and that if it was the case he was calling me to apologise – and so it was.
      “I told him on the pitch that there was no VAR or goal-line technology – one of the things he told me was that the goal line was important – but I told him that the ball was half a metre inside the goal.
      “There was no obstacle between the goalkeeper and the goal line. [It is a] problem because we drew. We have to rethink.
      “The referees are human and make mistakes, but that’s why there is the VAR and the goal-line technology to avoid this.”

      Cristiano Ronaldo makes his thoughts very clear after being denied a late winner against Serbia More

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      Dutch legend Marco van Basten reveals radical plans to SCRAP offsides and would make football ‘more interesting’

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      HOLLAND legend Marco van Basten wants to scrap the offside rule from football.The iconic former striker wants to do away with the rule as it will make the sport ‘more interesting’.
      Marco van Basten wants to bin the offside ruleCredit: Getty
      Van Basten, 56, was Fifa’s technical director between 2016 and 2018 and rule improvements were part of his remit.
      Legendary Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is Fifa’s head of global development and launched his own offside overhaul to end VAR controversy last month.
      It would see a player being deemed ONSIDE if any part of the body which can legitimately score a goal is level or behind the last defender — even if other parts are in front.
      But Van Basten wants to go one step further and get rid of offsides altogether.
      The Dutchman told Sky Sports: “I am still very curious about the offside rule because I am convinced that it is not a good rule.
      “At least I would like to trial it to show that football is also possible without the offside rule. I am convinced that football would be better without it.
      “Football is a fantastic game but I still think that we have to do much more to make it better, more spectacular, more interesting, more exciting. We have to work on that.”
      Van Basten’s ideas would drastically change the way the sport is played but the former AC Milan star has thought it all through.
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      Arsene Wenger also wants to change the offside rule

      He added: “If you do away with the offside line then the defence will drop deeper. They will say that you cannot get behind us because they will be afraid of the opponents getting in behind.
      “But if you go too far back then the 18-yard box is going to become a melee and the goalkeeper will not be able to see anything, so teams will know it is not the solution.
      “As a result, the goalkeeper will want everybody out and that is exactly the point at which it would become so interesting.
      “If the attackers can move behind the defenders there are much more possibilities for goals. It will make the defending more difficult.
      ‘WE TALK ABOUT OFFSIDE DECISIONS A LOT’
      “On the other hand, when you are defending, if there is no offside, you can always have one or two players far away so that when you get the ball you can put it to your forwards in the other half.
      “The attacking team will have to be much more aware than they are now because the field is being made bigger.
      “When the field is made bigger there are much more options for the players in possession and for the trainers to come up with the best way to exploit that.
      “The problem now is that we do have offside and how often are we talking about the offside decisions? A lot.
      “If you do not have offside you have a lot less problems and the teams will still find other solutions to have a good game that will be just as spectacular as it is now but without this bad rule.
      “I am still very interested in it. It would just be nice to test it. I am sure football would find a way to become even more interesting.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Haaland and Odegaard lead Norway stars in powerful human rights message before Gibraltar clash More

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      Fifa confirms plans to use ‘robo linesmen’ at World Cup 2022 to make instant offside calls

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      FIFA has confirmed it wants ‘robo linesmen’ to call offsides at next year’s World Cup finals.
      And world chiefs are keen to roll out Arsene Wenger’s new ‘daylight’ offside idea in a bid to guarantee more goals.

      Fifa wants ‘robo linesmen’ to call offsides at next year’s World Cup finalsCredit: PA:Empics Sport

      Fifa president Gianni Infantino revealed he is ploughing full steam ahead with ‘semi automatic offsides’.
      That sees the use of artificial intelligence ‘skeletal technology’ to give assistant referees instant signals of an attacker transgressing.
      Infantino said: “We tested it at two games in the Club World Cup in January and the tests were very positive. 
      “VAR can take too long on occasions, although it brings justice, but with this technology we will get instant decisions.”

      Fifa refs’ chief, former Italian whistler Pierluigi Collina, confirmed the instantaneous decisions will still require VAR to check if a player adjudged offside off the ball interfered with play.
      Collina, though, added: “We are running trials as fast as possible with the objective to implement this in the 2022 World Cup.
      “It is clear that it reduces the time needed to decide on an offside situation, even though it detects even more marginal offsides than VAR can at present.”
      But a bigger change will be the adoption of the Wenger proposal, revealed by SunSport last year.

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      Under the change envisaged by the former Arsenal boss, a player will be deemed onside if any goalscoring part of his body overlaps the last defender.
      Infantino said: “Our aim is always to see if we can make football more attractive without changing the nature of the game.
      “Arsene made a presentation to us and told us that, based on the statistics in the Premier League, this would halve the number of offsides in a game, because the marginal decisions would not be offside any more.
      “This will have for us to look at the impact but we want to make football even more attacking and passionate.”

      Scott Parker says the game is becoming sterile as VAR kills football More

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      Fifa trying to persuade South American chiefs to play World Cup qualifiers in Europe so Prem clubs can release players

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      FIFA is trying to persuade South American chiefs to switch some of this month’s World Cup qualifiers to EUROPE – so that Premier League clubs can release their players.
      Liverpool chief Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he will block stars from travelling to their international fixtures.

      Klopp had threatened to ban some of his players – including his strong Brazilian contingent – from going on international duty owing to quarantine rulesCredit: Getty – Pool

      Big names such as Alisson, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita are all due to be banned.
      Klopp will not allow his players to go away as they face ten days on strict hotel quarantine on their return from countries on the UK Government ‘red list’.
      Portugal, all of South America and much of Africa is on the list.
      Manchester City are expected to take the same stance with Ederson, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero.

      Manchester United will also be able to keep Edinson Cavani and Alex Telles at Old Trafford rather than jet back home, with Portugal ace Bruno Fernandes set to be blocked.
      Fifa confirmed last month it would not be enforcing normal international player release regulations where Covid restrictions including quarantine would apply.
      Furious South American chiefs have mooted postponing this month’s fixtures, which include the huge clash between Brazil and Argentina and Uruguay’s scheduled visit to Argentina.
      But the South American qualification tournament is already four matches behind schedule as a direct result of the pandemic.

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      Man City are another side believed to be considering pulling some players off international dutyCredit: Reuters

      This summer will also welcome the delayed 2020 Copa America.
      Fifa have suggested a way round the issue would be to instead play the games involving the bigger nations in Europe, where the majority of players are based.
      With all games due to be played behind closed doors in any event, world chiefs have argued traditional home advantage has already disappeared.
      However, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador all benefit from the high altitude of their capital cities.
      Switching the games to Budapest, Bucharest and Athens, as Uefa have already done for Champions League and Europa League games this season, would allow European-based players to join up with their squad-mates.
      Such a move would no longer allow Premier League bosses to block their players from taking part
      Despite the proposed move, players involved would have to quarantine at home apart from training sessions and matches after their returns.
      So far, South American bosses have been resistant to the idea.
      But the pressure from Fifa calling for a U-turn is growing and could force them to back down to ensure they can put out their strongest sides.

      Jurgen Klopp reveals Liverpool will ban their stars going on international duty if they have to quarantine after More

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      Fifa planted ‘the law of the jungle’ trees they now wish to bulldoze with new regulations for agents

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      FIFA describe the current power of football agents as “the law of the jungle” with “conflicts of interests rife and exorbitant ‘commissions’ being earned left and right”.
      Bearing in mind football agents earned £470million in fees in 2019 — four times more than in 2015 — it’s not hard to see how they have come to this conclusion.

      Daniel Kinahan is entering the world of football as an agent

      The irony is that it was Fifa who planted the trees that they now wish to bulldoze to the ground, with what look like suitable new regulations for agents.
      This includes caps on fees, more transparency, a licensing system, avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining high professional standards, all of which should benefit everyone involved in the game.
      But hold on there…
      The rewards of being an agent are so remunerative that others are emerging from the darkness wanting a piece of the action — and I wonder if any kind of reforms will hold them back.

      Alleged drugs chieftain Daniel Kinahan is expanding his sporting management operation MTK Global from boxing into football.
      Kinahan’s record persuaded Irish police in the High Court to name the 43-year-old as a drugs lord and crime boss in his native Dublin.
      “I’ve no criminal record anywhere in the world,” he pleads. But then neither does Vladimir Putin.
      World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury vouched what a nice chap Kinahan is — and no doubt he is very good to his mother.

      Kinahan has previously worked with Tyson FuryCredit: Reuters
      But that is a long, long way from a recommendation that he should glide unchallenged into football.
      The British Boxing Board of Control don’t like his alleged links with crime but say they can do nothing about it.
      They don’t explain why not — after all, they are the governing body for boxing. And what’s the point of having ‘Control’ in your title if you have none?
      So, of all the reforms proposed by Fifa, “maintaining high professional standards” will be the most difficult to translate into an actual regulation. But it is perhaps the most important.
      Representing football players and their careers should only be done by people who protect the integrity of football, prevent abuses and who genuinely have their players’ best interests at heart.
      And as administrators of the game, we need to ensure Fifa award licenses to agents who can and will do this.
      I understand and respect the fact players need to get as much from a short career as they possibly can.
      They are professionals who hold all the hopes and fortunes of our football clubs in their hands, and they deserve every penny they get.
      So I do worry about the influence and characters of the people who want to get the closest to them.
      If this Irishman’s plans do not put a rocket up the underpants of Fifa-dom, it should.

      And where are the PFA in all this? Are they not concerned about having characters like this representing the players? Are they not lobbying to prevent such types getting licenses to represent their union members?
      On the subject of the PFA, it’s hard to understand what role they play in football any more.
      They represent some of the most influential people on the planet (step forward Marcus Rashford) and their union members are keeping the whole country from going off their rockers during lockdown by continuing to play football.
      The PFA should have prestige, power, influence and a mandate for good. They should be driving the discussion on diversity and inclusion in the country by using the power of football to drive positive social change. Their values should represent the high ones set by the players themselves.
      They should be leading on every issue that affects the players, from education, financial planning, social media abuse, dementia, mental health and . . . who can and should represent them.
      When, oh when, is their reform going to happen?

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury More