Multi-national leagues

[Duke]

Platini mentioned this today. I remember v. Basten going on about it a while ago.

So we're talking a joint Belgian-Netherlands league for example. Or a Balkan league. To strengthen the smaller countries. Join forces so to speak.

What are your opinions on this, guys?

Of course the Balkan league is different and more difficult to achieve than a Belgium-Nethies thing. I mean, civil war and shit.

But footballwise, what do you guys think about it?

 

[hizzle?]

Football wise, I'm for it, but how would the lower leagues work? Would it be like the Royal League in Scandinavia or the Mediterranean league in Basketball... I don't know... If you unite, do you unite your 2nd tier...

 

[Flipmo]

I talked to Hizzle a few days ago about it.

I'm up for it. Obviously, in the Ex-Yugo countries it's gonna be hard to stop people from killing each other, but if you look at the Croatian league for example. There are maybe only 2 clubs that stand out and its Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, and maybe 1 average club, which is Rijeka. The rest are small towns and farmer teams.

Serbia, the same goes; Red Star and Partizan... OFK Beograd being the average club.

Slovenia: Domzale is the only one lol.

Bosnia: Too complicated, there's a rotation there, Serb club wins once, then Croat, then Bosnian. lol.

Either way, if we can get back the old rivalries like Red Star / Dinamo... or Hajduk / Partizan... Hell, even Rijeka / Sarajevo was somewhat a rivalry. People would go no matter what, and it would be a lot more competitive than us beating farmer clubs 5 - 0....

 

[Duke]

Football wise, I'm for it, but how would the lower leagues work? Would it be like the Royal League in Scandinavia or the Mediterranean league in Basketball... I don't know... If you unite, do you unite your 2nd tier...

That's the thought, uniting the whole shebang, so you'd get a 2nd and probably 3rd league as well.

I'm for it, but I suppose there are a whole lot of creases that need to be ironed out.

 

[tHuG $TyLe]

I'm all for it, if it strengths the leagues and teams around Europe then its all good.

 

[2Pax]

Looking in as an 'outsider' I don't think it's a good idea. National leagues should be exactly that in my opinion, relative to one country only.

There would also appear to be a lot of complications in amalgmating the two leagues. How exactly would it work? I mean my knowledge of some European leagues is particularly limited especially the Belgian league. Would there be a vast difference between the two countries in the league, i.e would most of the Dutch teams take up the higher positions in the league or are the two countries on a similar ability level?

 

[hizzle?]

I say start with equal teams on every level of competition...then let it balance out.