UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin Reacts Hilariously After Overseas League Games Confirmed
Aleskander Ceferin, the head of UEFA, is enraged, and it’s understandable why.
Consider being the top dog in all of UEFA and being adamant about one thing: domestic league games for UEFA member countries should only be played in those countries and should never be played abroad for financial gain.
This is something he is very clear about. Take a look at his clarity.
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“League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions.”
“The scope of these concerns was confirmed by our consultation. I express my gratitude to the 55 national associations for their responsible and productive involvement on this delicate subject.”
Isn’t that exactly right? There is no way to argue with any of that. Moral and ethical concerns are raised here, along with the obvious and contemptuously casual marginalisation of matchgoers and, most obviously, the fundamental distortion and warping of any league’s sporting integrity when all clubs no longer play an equal number of home and away games against one another.
The problem with a league’s fixture list’s sporting integrity is that it’s very binary; you either have it or you don’t; you can’t make minor adjustments and still be essentially fine; once it’s gone, it’s gone.
You can’t be slightly pregnant or make minor adjustments without compromising your sporting integrity.
We have thoroughly enjoyed all of the dark criticisms of the Premier League schedule this season, for example: Arsenal had a rough start, didn’t they? Liverpool is currently having a very tough run of games, haven’t they?
These things are true, but they are not conspiracies, and they don’t affect the league’s structure because, by the end of the season, both Liverpool and Arsenal will have played all 19 Premier League teams at home and away.
This is a classic Fixtures Day joke, and it is now facing existential danger, which is perhaps the one bright side of it all.
However, our excessive concern is being overly dramatic. UEFA is keeping an eye on this.
According to their top man, it will not take place. Bad luck to Barcelona and Villarreal, who were hoping to take a quick trip to Miami in December.
Your plan to travel to Australia for a single match amid a severe climate crisis is doomed, Milan and Como. You have been practically sent home without a mista and with your tail between your legs.
Ceferin is not done yet, so hold on. Most likely on the verge of revealing more secrets about you and your evil schemes.
“This decision is extraordinary and will not be viewed as establishing a precedent, even though it is unfortunate to have to allow these two games to proceed. We are steadfast in our resolve to preserve national leagues’ integrity and keep football rooted in its native setting.”
Well, hope it that hasn’t spoil everything? Although the footage of this audacious and obvious but ultimately feeble, pointless, and downright cowardly statement has not been shown to us, we presume that Mr. Ceferin was wearing a hotdog costume before he insisted that we are all looking for the person who committed this.
Simply put, we wouldn’t establish a precedent permitting domestic games in the major European leagues to be played abroad if we didn’t want to.
You may regret it as much as you want. It might be referred to as outstanding as you like. The toothpaste has already been removed from the tube and cannot be replaced.
Ceferin has opted for the “no way to prevent this” strategy in an attempt to avoid taking responsibility for this. He’s aware that he’s opened a can of worms here. He has to do.
And he has concluded that the best way to try to avoid taking responsibility for it is to pretend that he has no power at all. Undoubtedly, it’s a daring decision for the real president of UEFA to make.
He’s probably correct, though. At least fifteen years have passed since this day seemed inevitable.
The infamous “39th game” concept was first promoted by the Premier League in 2008 in an attempt to leverage its very profitable international viewership.
In a somewhat ironic turn of events, the Premier League’s immense global influence has made it less necessary and desirable for the English league to look for real competitive games abroad.
The Premier League has a ridiculous financial advantage over all of its competitors, therefore it doesn’t need it anymore.
Even continental football’s titans can suddenly be beaten to the biggest signings by mid-table Premier League teams.
Although their annoyance is hypocritical and tribal, it is also somewhat understandable given Bayern Munich’s sour attitude about suddenly being unable to select only the best German players when they want to because Newcastle is more desirable.
In order to try to close the already enormous and widening gap, the other teams will unavoidably look to adopt whatever harsh measures they feel are required as the Premier League’s financial domination increases.
The club ownership mechanisms in place there make it nearly impossible for German league games to be broadcast abroad, but because of this unprecedented precedent, everything else is up for grabs.
Ceferin seems to believe that this marks the beginning and the end of such attempts, even though Villarreal, Barcelona, Como, and Milan are now “regrettable” and “exceptional.”
In fact, if one were inclined to do so, one could argue that attempting frantically to pull the drawbridge up behind the four teams you are going to let cash in on an international game simply serves to exacerbate justice difficulties.
The idea is cruelly compelling: if you’re going to permit these two games, you must at least permit the option for everyone else in those leagues.
However, notwithstanding the mischief, a precedent has undoubtedly been formed. Disingenuous doublethink is what it would be to say otherwise while setting it.
