Fifa want 18 team Premiership

[Maximo Mark]

Fifa is heading for a showdown with the Premier League over its 20-club size.
On Thursday Fifa's Congress endorsed a proposal for Europe's top leagues to be reduced to a maximum of 18 clubs by the start of the 2007-08 season.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter said: "We've been given the power to work on it. We'll do it. It'll give four more days to the international calendar."

But Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson ruled out a reduction: "There's no appetite for this kind of change."

Johnson added: "The only people who are going to tell us how to run the Premier League are the league's 20 member clubs' chairmen.

"They are the only ones who can change the composition of the league and they are just not going to go for this - no way."

Fifa's decision could also hit the Spanish, Italian, and French leagues.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5061302.stm

Sepp Blatter really is a prize tw*t

[Admin]

They only want 20 teams in it for more matches = more money.

[frag]

I think we should look at streamlining the international and european calendar instead...

[Matt Aloud]

why don't we ditch Sepp's World Club Championship while we're at it too

[frag]

Bravo, great idea... and the Confeds cup. Wastes of time.

[Earl Purple]

I'd like to see an International European League (i.e. countries). I think it would generate a lot of interest. Imagine England playing "league" games against France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland and Portugal instead of stupid qualifier games against Albania and Liechtenstein.

I would make the league a "Swiss" competition rather than divisions, so the placings would sort themselves out, although divisions could be used in later years. Have a straight knock-out cup for the European Championship to add some extra "cup" excitement and ditch the European Championships as they stand now. Alternative is that the league runs over 3 years (with divisions) and that the top places qualify for the World Cup.

I don't think 38 games a season is too many - big clubs have big squads and can rotate so no need for excuses about too many matches.

[Thor]

It's b****cks. France and Italy have both INCREASED the numbers of teams in their top leagues lately (from 18 to 20)

Italy especially would be unable to cope with a reduction back to 18 because it's teams are in such a mess for a variety of reasons

[Earl Purple]

Italy have relegated a number of their major teams to Serie B.

[Thor]

OMG when? I havent been following

[Admin]

The reason for the increase from 18-20 is simple, tv money, because at the same time we get prem teams saying we play too many games, ie league cup games, not enough money in those games for them to be worth it. The top teams soon forget how the lower league teams like to play the big teams, it's a pay day for them and a chance to shine, but the top teams see it as a inconvenience. I have no sympathy for them when they moan about too many games, what they mean is too many games against lower teams not generating enough money for them.
Sorry about the rant, this is about sepp blatter, tosser.

[Tom]

I think it would be a real shame if it was increased to 20, would hit the teams in the Championship hard just like it affected us in 95 when it was reduced to 20. 20 is the right number anyway, seems about right.

Oh and when did Italy increase theirs to 20?

[Thor]

The league cup is rubbish anyway! Replace it would a UK wide competition and it suddenly becomes worthwhile again. What does the League Cup do that the FA Cup doesn't do better?

[Thor]

tro1 said:

I think it would be a real shame if it was increased to 20, would hit the teams in the Championship hard just like it affected us in 95 when it was reduced to 20. 20 is the right number anyway, seems about right.

Oh and when did Italy increase theirs to 20?

Was it when Serie B couldn't relegate teams because of legal issues. So they had to shoehorn 2 extra into Serie A

[marcus]

earlpurple said:

I'd like to see an International European League (i.e. countries). I think it would generate a lot of interest. Imagine England playing "league" games against France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland and Portugal instead of stupid qualifier games against Albania and Liechtenstein.

I would make the league a "Swiss" competition rather than divisions, so the placings would sort themselves out, although divisions could be used in later years. Have a straight knock-out cup for the European Championship to add some extra "cup" excitement and ditch the European Championships as they stand now. Alternative is that the league runs over 3 years (with divisions) and that the top places qualify for the World Cup.

I don't think 38 games a season is too many - big clubs have big squads and can rotate so no need for excuses about too many matches.

They do leauge division systems in international rugby, why not in football?

[Tom]

broomhelga said:

tro1 said:

I think it would be a real shame if it was increased to 20, would hit the teams in the Championship hard just like it affected us in 95 when it was reduced to 20. 20 is the right number anyway, seems about right.

Oh and when did Italy increase theirs to 20?

Was it when Serie B couldn't relegate teams because of legal issues. So they had to shoehorn 2 extra into Serie A

It could have been, everything there seems messed up anyway, its easy to lose track!