Football’s worst ideas: Game 39, Club World Cup, European Super League & more | OneFootball

Football’s status as the world’s most popular sport is unrivalled, despite what fans of North American sports may think.

However, football stakeholders also have an uncanny ability to come up with truly ridiculous ideas. The governing body, FIFA, has made a career out of it.

Without further ado, read on as we take a look at some of football’s worst ideas, starting with one which must never see light of day again.

Game 39 in the Premier League

Game 39. A controversial concept designed to pander to the Premier League’s ever-expanding global fanbase. At its core? Financial greed.

The influx of foreign ownership has triggered ongoing debates about staging regular season games in markets such as North America and Asia. The proposal is nonsensical.

The value of the English top-flight to foreign markets is its community culture, its history and the intensity of the supporter experience.

Clubs are not franchises that can be hawked around the world like performing monkeys. They are local entities with deep-seated roots. Game 39 would be an affront to English football’s soul.

Club World Cup

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described the Club World Cup as ‘the worst idea ever implemented in football’ due to fears over player welfare.

FIFA inevitably ignored Klopp and other high-profile critics last summer by ploughing ahead with a tournament that was nothing more than a glorified pre-season competition.

Chelsea fans have revelled in describing their club as ‘world champions’, conveniently ignoring the fact that they left a severe stench on real football last season.

The Club World Cup is an excuse for FIFA to make more money – nothing more, nothing less.

European Super League

Just over five years have passed since one of the dumbest ideas ever was floated in professional football – the European Super League (ESL).

The proposal quickly unravelled, with fans across the continent making it clear they would not tolerate this blatant cash grab by elite clubs.

No relegation or qualification may fly with fans of some sports, but the destruction of merit is a concept that football supporters cannot comprehend.

When terms such as ‘strong business argument’ are touted as a reason to do something in football, it is generally not a good sign.

Fireworks and pre-match razzmatazz

Former Manchester United star Roy Keane once said that he isn’t a fan of fireworks. He’s not alone.

If a club needs to rely on pre-match guff of this nature to generate an atmosphere, their fans need to take a long look at themselves

A lavish display of pyrotechnics might be suitable for the Super Bowl, but on a wet and windy night in the Midlands? No thanks.

As for the concept of half-time shows organised by Chris Martin – that needs binning too.

Non-champions in the Champions League

Many modern-day fans believe that football started in 1992. They have no understanding of why the Champions League format is flawed.

Let’s consider the case of Liverpool. Last season’s fifth-placed club lost 12 Premier League games, but still qualified for the Champions League.

The Reds could be crowned as champions of Europe next June. In this context, the word ‘champions’ becomes utterly meaningless.

A return to the good old days of a straight knockout in the European Cup will never happen, which is a crying shame.

Bookings for ‘excessive celebrations’

It’s 1-1 in the 93rd minute. Your left-back, who hasn’t scored for six years, fires home a 35-yard screamer to win a hard-fought match.

He wheels away in celebration. Lost in the moment, he takes his shirt off and dives into the arms of a celebratory away end. His reward? A yellow card.

If he picked up a booking earlier in the game, the referee would have no option but to show a red card. The player is then suspended.

Bookings for ‘excessive celebrations’ suck the joy out of football. They need to be stopped.

FIFA selling commercial stakes

FIFA. The gift that keeps on giving, particularly with Gianni Infantino in charge. He almost makes Sepp Blatter seem palatable.

The FIFA president’s latest headline-grabber is a proposal to sell the commercial rights to its tournaments to private investors.

Not content with the previous litany of corruption, scandals and controversies, Infantino appears to be on a mission to cause more mayhem.

Given that he counts United States president Donald Trump as a key ally, it is no surprise that he keeps spouting brainless ideas.