quote:

---

G-14 reveals potential members

The G-14 have confirmed the identities of 40 clubs who will meet next month to discuss the formation of a new grouping of elite European clubs.

The 18 current members of the G-14 will attend the meeting in Brussels, Belgium on November 13-14, along with 22 other teams who were recently invited to join.

As expected the likes of Sevilla, Chelsea, Roma, Monaco, Werder Bremen, Benfica and Celtic are set to be part of the organisation.

However, a number of names from Eastern Europe, such as Red Star Belgrade, Steaua Bucharest, CSKA Moscow, Dinamo Kiev, Sparta Prague, Wisla Krakow and Levski Sofia will also take part in the conference.

Anderlecht, Fenerbahce, Olympiacos, Basle, Maccabi Haifa, Rosenborg, FC Copenhagen and Austria Vienna will also attend the meeting.

"This will be an initial meeting with the clubs," said G-14 communications manager Derek McGlynn. "It will be used to explain the idea behind the organisation, as well as gauging the level of interest of the clubs we have invited, who will potentially become members.

"The event is an opportunity to meet the clubs, present ideas and get some feedback."

A total of 23 European countries will be represented in the new grouping, but Sevilla's official website has reported that the members will not have the same voting powers on issues.

According to www.sevillafc.es, AC Milan will have eight votes out of 103 available and will be the most 'powerful' club, while Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia will have four each and Arsenal, Sevilla, Benfica and Ajax will have three apiece.

However, it is understood that such detailed decisions are not likely to be decided at the preliminary meeting in November.

The 18 current members of the G-14 are Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, AC Milan, Internazionale, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Lyon, Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Porto.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by dazavich
51 titles and counting guys

---

quote:

---

The news that G14 are set to offer Celtic a place while denying Rangers one is great news for Celtic fans. A ruthlessly objective distinction is being drawn between the two clubs, which no amount of bluster from Murray or his poodles can disguise. The shrewdly calculating eyes of G14 consider us to be better run, better box office, and better company than our blue brethren. Of course, we know they are right. Others may find these conclusions somewhat harder to bear.

In the short term, this means little for Celtic beyond local bragging rights and a chance for Peter Lawell to use the networking opportunities that G14 meetings represent. However, the proposed expansion has a much more profound importance.

At first sight, the chosen clubs are something of a job lot. Imagine if you will the impotent rage of a fan of, say, Newcastle (11th in UEFA's rankings (and 13th in Deloitte's latest Rich List)), or AZ Alkmaar (19th), or Rangers (33rd and 18th on the Rich List), who sees their club being excluded while Maccabi Haifa (93rd in UEFA's rankings), FC Copenhagen (99th) and Wisla Krakow (119th) receive their invitations from Brussels to join the golden circle.

In fact, the invitations have been chosen with scientific precision.

Consider the composition of G14 before and after the forthcoming additions. (Does anyone want to bet against every single invitee signing on the dotted line? My money is waiting for you).

BEFORE

3 teams
England, Spain, Germany, France, Italy

2 teams
Netherlands

1 team
Portugal

AFTER

4 teams
England, Spain, Germany, France, Italy

2 teams
Netherlands, Portugal

1 team
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine

The dominance of the big 5 leagues has been maintained, with 50% of the total membership, and (it appears from press reports) a still heavier weighting in voting terms. The Netherlands' and Portugal's 2nd-tier status has been confirmed. But the real action is in the long tail of new members; out of 22, no fewer than 16 new countries are included.

The rationale for the choice of countries is crystal clear. Financial rather than sporting criteria, have dominated G14's thinking. The 22 new members come from 22 different countries. Economic outreach has been the overwhelming consideration in G14's decisions.

Of Europe's 20 most populous countries, only Belarus, Hungary and Sweden will not be represented in the expanded G14; their 'missing' 29 million consumers swamped by the 730 million in the 23 countries who will have at least one team in the organisation.

In GDP terms, G14's choice is even more striking; 19 of Europe's largest 20 economies are represented, witn only Sweden absent.

A quick look at the current UEFA coefficients explains the absentees. Elfsborg Sweden's top-ranked team, in a miserable 175th place. Ferencvaros head the Hungarian teams in 148th, and Belarus have no team in the top 200. The faintest whiff of sporting integrity can still be detected, if only by those with a good sense of smell, and long memories.

In truth, G14 has mostly not had to choose between sporting and economic criteria; success in football has in recent years become increasingly correlated with financial clout, and the biggest are more often than not, also the best. Two statistics illustrate this.

First, the first 22 places in UEFA's current country rankings are occupied by 22 of the 23 countries to be represented in G14. The 23rd, Poland, has by a huge margin the largest economy and population of the other countries (38 million to Belarus's 10 million).

Second, of the 22 members-to-be, no fewer than 17 are currently the highest-ranked club in their country that is not already a G14 member.

Looking at G14's decisions in the other 5 countries is enlightening; if proof of their thinking were needed, it can be found here.

Olympiakos or Panathanaikos?
Anderlecht or Club Brugge?
Celtic or Rangers?
Red Star Belgrade or Partizan Belgrade?
Dinamo Kiev or Shaktar Donetsk?

Clue: which five would YOU choose if you were thinking of setting up a European league?

There is arguably little to choose between the Greek clubs; that apart, G14 has consistently chosen the club with the greater international appeal, over the club with the higher UEFA ranking. For those of you who doubt Paul's GOD prediction, this should give you pause for thought. Footballing dominance is transient in the absence of financial advantage; and enduring in its presence. Paul knows it: G14 knows it too, and their choice of clubs is based on it.

Incidentally, and by coincidence, all five 'controversial' choices on the above list are between clubs with bitter rivalries. Rangers fans are not the only ones with their heads in their hands tonight. Which must be very comforting for them.

Every single club chosen by G14 is either clearly the most marketable international brand that country has to offer (Red Star in Serbia), or the currently strongest club from 2-3 broadly comparable brands (as in Russia).

Still, the geographical expansion of G14 should not disguise the continuing dominance of the organisation by the biggest clubs in the big 5 leagues. These clubs (as businesses) have much more in common with each other than they do with smaller clubs in their own leagues. So, the motives behind the expansion are driven by the elite clubs' perception of their own interests.

The expansion is in part a defensive act, designed to strengthen the hand of the top clubs against the long-established power bases of their national associations and UEFA. They stand to extend their power base and geographical influence considerably, while retaining control of most key policy decisions. This can be usefully compared to the realpolitik calculations made by the big 4 EU economies in relation to EU expansion.

It is therefore a thinly-disguised statement of the big clubs' intention to stand their ground against Michel Platini's efforts to undermine their sporting and financial hegemony. His proposal to apportion valuable CL places to the relative lottery of national cup competitions threatens the competitiveness of any club outside the gilded few with billionaire backers and/or truly global brands, who can shrug off the (very) occasional season on the outside. G14 is already staunchly opposed to that; the new members will be uniformly of the same view.

That doesn't necessarily mean that Platini's proposals are dead in the water, but a marker has been laid down which he might be wise to heed. He will be be acutely aware that the expansion is by no means only defensive. Indeed, it is a carefully-measured slap to the cheek of Platini: a reminder that should UEFA press its case too strongly, more radical measures are available to the top clubs.

As the above analysis shows, the choice of new member clubs in the expansion has been exquisitely calculated in relation to this issue. A primary objective for G14 has been to establish the best possible starting point for a multi-national European League should a showdown with UEFA become necessary. The expansion does that, in the clearest possible manner.

Of course, the odds are still against such a league being formed in the near future. The consequences would be utterly revolutionary to the world game, and a breakaway would involve real risks to all parties.

G14 have no need to take such radical action unless their hand is forced; instead, they can play a long game, as the increasing financial polarisation of the European game created by globalisation of its top brands - ironically, a process heavily promoted by UEFA's Champions League - strenghtens their hand more with every passing season.

Their short-term ambitions will therefore centre on trying to deter radical action from UEFA, while they away at FIFA's position with their arguments about compensation for the loss of players due to injuries in international matches - which is of course a fig leaf designed to cover (for now) their desire to curb the intrusion of international games into their own business plans.

UEFA's position is more difficult; they are swimming against the tide. Historically, national associations utterly dominated their member clubs. This is no longer so. Nevertheless, UEFA has maintained its power base by the simple expedient of 'divide and conquer', never allowing a major alternative power base to establish itself. The enlarged G40 looks very much like a 'major alternative power base'. Will Platini take on G14 now, on the grounds that they will only be stronger later? Or will he try to hold off from a confrontation with G14, mindful that the biggest winner might well be FIFA?

We live in interesting times.

One final point: surely G14 will mark the the highlight of this expansion, the momentous occasion of its latest and greatest member club joining the organisation, by renaming itself G40?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Edd
we are invited? you really should get your info from more reliable outlets



i dont see it as an alternative at all some of the major clubs are already questioning wether being part of the g14 has a purpose i agree with that sentiment

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hammer

quote:

---

Originally posted by Edd
we are invited? you really should get your info from more reliable outlets



i dont see it as an alternative at all some of the major clubs are already questioning wether being part of the g14 has a purpose i agree with that sentiment

---

I'm sorry, you're invited? Where are you getting that from?

You haven't been invited the 1 club from Scotland is Celtic, deal with it.

---