The Rolling Football thread 2024/25 - part 3

[DuncinToffee]

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/sports/5250874-the-rolling-football-thread-season-202425-part-2?page=40&reply=144449521

Taking us to the seasons final ⚽

Wasn't expecting that (well, the Chelsea result anyway)!

Classless from PSG at the end.

Well done England women!

I saw someone get on the train yesterday evening with a Manchester United shirt on. Was tempted to ask him what he is going to do on autumn weekday evenings given his team won't have any matches on.

The signs have been there for PSG (and I do feel robbed of a Barca/PSG final) if the game is taken too them
Aston Villa nearly took it to extra time, Arsenal lost because they didn’t take their chances (a striker for them would have made all the difference) Chelsea did that and won.
it wasn’t the first time they lost at the tournament either.

My biggest issue is Joao Pedro I believe once the squad for this type of tournament is set then that is the one that should end it! You shouldn’t be able to bring another striker in once another gets suspended!

It also gave me Cole Palmer looking at Donald Trump when the trophy was being lifted which is just I think how we all want to look at him!

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fifa-player-welfare-match-calendar-fixtures-fifpro-b2788056.html

FifPro, the main global players' union, were not invited to a "key" Fifa meeting with players unions over primary issues like the calendar

Present were officials expelled from FifPro

It is being described within football as "a charade"

Yes, pleased that an English team won.

I hope it’s the last time we see the CWC though. It’s crazy that the rest of the premier league have started their pre season and Chelsea have only just finished their last season. They’ll feel it come Christmas when the injuries start piling up and they’ll be whinging on about playing too many games - the fact that they were even competing in it was a joke tbh and the financial advantage they now have as a result is 🙄🙄 as well. I guess. They’ll not need to sell any hotels or car parks to themselves for a while.

I'm not sure that it will affect them too much as they have so much depth in their squad unless Palmer gets injured.

I hope it is, not for that reason though. There are too many matches in general, there needs to be a proper close season. The European competitions have started already, and whilst I don't expect Lincoln Red Imps or The New Saints to make the latter stages, that is not the point.

I agree @JasonTindallsTan and I think the importance of pre season cannot be underestimated- the loss of fitness over a 3/4 week break for an athlete in prime condition needs building back up.
Chelsea start in just over a month so where is the break and then rebuild fitness because you need both

it’s different to the World Cup/euros because the vast majority of a teams players aren’t going to make the final 4 so you can work around that - this is a first team squad

and the league hasn’t helped they have a 2pm Sunday an 8pm Friday and a 12:30 Saturday as the August matches!

I don't think this will be the end of the CWC, money talks.

I was reading about this in the Telegraph today. This year's CWC was bankrolled by the Saudis in exchange for them being given the 2034 World Cup.

It is possible that they will also bankroll the next one, but after that, if no-one watches it then it will have to end.

The fate of the CWC is in our hands. If we don't stop it, it will destroy the PL (and therefore the lower leagues) as the number of clubs in the PL will have to decrease in order to reduce the number of games played.

Maresca has already said that the CWC will eventually be bigger than the CL which is what ToBo and all the other US owners of the PL want.

Twice as many people watched the women's game as watched the final of the CWC on Saturday in the UK (on tv, I'm not sure about online).

As soon as people realise that it will destroy the PL and all the other European Leagues hopefully they will not watch it.

What channels and services was the CWC on in the U.K.? I didn’t try to look for it, but I have a feeling it was on paid-for channels and streaming only. If so, I have a feeling that will reduce viewer demand - especially if it’s competing with other football events being shown on free-to-air TV, like with the women’s Euros this year.

Channel 5 had some of the games.

The ‘bigger’ matches were on channel 5 the rest were in DAZN for free - we have the app on tv and all signed up so was fairly easy to access

the issue as well was the times - the poor BBC man who covered the Chelsea Benefica match started coverage at 8pm he finished at 3am due to stoppages from lightening and the n extra time

No, it was on Channel 5 and I assume that they didn't pay anything for it (or very little) as there was no demand from the broadcasters.

The CWC is only going to be every 4 years.
I wonder if they will give it ahead of the World Cup to the host nation as a sort of rehearsal.

At the moment.

If it is popular and makes money then it will be every year and it will be expanded to become the dominant competition.

The aim is for it to be the most prestigious competition and to be more important that the CL.

They couldn't get the Super League to work, so they are trying this.

They want the PL and the other European domestic leagues to become irrelevant.

Its success is in our hands. Without European clubs it will mean nothing so it is up to us if we want it or not.

There is already talk of having certain teams permanent and add a few qualified teams

Indeed a back door to the Super League

I wonder why the fans groups aren't protesting like they did against the SL.

Can't they see what is happening?

We need to kill it off now.

Unfortunately the clubs will just look at the tens of millions that they can earn and will take part although they are taking FIFA to court.

Nobody cares about the Club World Cup, at least in the UK. Hard for people to get worked up about it when people just don't have any interest in it. They'll put up with it in the background for a month every 4 years.

I don't know anyone whose watched any of these games.

I think it will depend on the impact of it. If for example it affects Chelsea who should be in the running for top 4 minimum in the run of matches before the first international break and potentially beyond that is when push back will occur

But why aren't the fan groups protesting about it like they did about the SL when the CWC also threatens the PL?

It is dangerous to just to put up with it and to think it will just take place every 4 years.

FIFA want to make it the the most important competition in football and to expand it.

But Chelsea have so much depth in their squad that I don't think it will really affect them unless Palmer gets injured.

Also, they earned so much from it that they probably think that it was worth it anyway.

The Super League would have a direct impact on fans, especially season ticket holders.

The CWC doesn't affect them yet.

Chelsea will find loopholes to buy more players regardless.

Anyone heard anything more about Man City's charges