What's new

Catalonia independence kill off La Liga?

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
Ofcourse the government has a say. They can tell them what days to play their games, it was they that brought in the new tv rights deal (that will eventually make the distribution more equal).
If the government are buthurt about catalonia leaving then they could easily tell barca to fuck off.

Not that catalonia will leave in anycase.

(By the by it was the spanish government whom decided that barca was a charity so didn't have to pay taxes).

I still think at the end of the day all these people are bothered about is money and everyone stands to make far more of it with Barca in La Liga than in some tinpot Catalan league.
 

LexingtonSpurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2013
13,456
39,042
I still think at the end of the day all these people are bothered about is money and everyone stands to make far more of it with Barca in La Liga than in some tinpot Catalan league.
Barça won't play in a "tinpot Catalan league"...they will have their pick of leagues - but if it is outside of Ligue 1, then it really opens the door to a Super League eventually forming.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
I still think at the end of the day all these people are bothered about is money and everyone stands to make far more of it with Barca in La Liga than in some tinpot Catalan league.

If catalonia became independent do not underestimate the anger in madrid (not the team). They would probably do anything they can to fuck them.
The head of la liga was a member of francos facist party.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
Barça won't play in a "tinpot Catalan league"...they will have their pick of leagues - but if it is outside of Ligue 1, then it really opens the door to a Super League eventually forming.

Not sure why. Barca have always wanted a super league but didn't get one. It would be in the best interests of the non spanish mega clubs to watch them fall.
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
24,010
66,826
If the Catalan clubs are kicked out of or suspended from La Liga then they won't be able to apply to join any other major European league as no EU member is going to recognise Catalonia as a country.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
If the Catalan clubs are kicked out of or suspended from La Liga then they won't be able to apply to join any other major European league as no EU member is going to recognise Catalonia as a country.

Premier League it is then.
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
24,010
66,826
Premier League it is then.

Someone email David Davis. We might have something we can use in the negotiations. FC Barcelona to whoever convinces the EU to give us a free trade deal. We'll throw in Espanyol, Girona, and Sabadell for free.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
Someone email David Davis. We might have something we can use in the negotiations. FC Barcelona to whoever convinces the EU to give us a free trade deal. We'll throw in Espanyol, Girona, and Sabadell for free.

Being serious though britain has to accept catalonias right to self determination. We have said many times that it is the rights of falklanders and gibaltians to determine their own future. We cannot then say that catalonia can't.
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
24,010
66,826
Being serious though britain has to accept catalonias right to self determination. We have said many times that it is the rights of falklanders and gibaltians to determine their own future. We cannot then say that catalonia can't.

We don't have to accept it. Gibraltar and the Falklands held legal referendums, whereas Catalonia's was declared illegal by the Spanish courts, government, and the EU. Even the UN refused to participate in the monitoring of the referendum. The Spanish constitution, which about 90% of Catalans voted for, affirms "the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation" so Catalonia requires the support of the Spanish parliament to hold a referendum. Besides, you can't declare UDI based on the result of a binary choice referendum where only one side participated and voter turn out was 43%.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
We don't have to accept it. Gibraltar and the Falklands held legal referendums, whereas Catalonia's was declared illegal by the Spanish courts, government, and the EU. Even the UN refused to participate in the monitoring of the referendum. The Spanish constitution, which about 90% of Catalans voted for, affirms "the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation" so Catalonia requires the support of the Spanish parliament to hold a referendum. Besides, you can't declare UDI based on the result of a binary choice referendum where only one side participated and voter turn out was 43%.

As i've said i don't think that catalonia will gain independence. But if they did it would be hypocritical of us not to acknowledge their right to self determination.
We were one of the first countries to recognise kosovo i don't see how this is any different.
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
no way would the Premier league clubs accept Barcelona, none whatsoever.

Barca wouldn't accept an even split in TV money anyway, so it's a non-starter.
Then factor in that someone in Championship would lose a promotion sport, or extra team would go down from PL.
Yeah.... Never going to happen.
 

Saoirse

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
6,143
15,550
If the Catalan clubs are kicked out of or suspended from La Liga then they won't be able to apply to join any other major European league as no EU member is going to recognise Catalonia as a country.

They don't need to as it would be down to the FA rather than the government and in most cases (albeit not Spain) they are actually an independent organisation.
 

C0YS

Just another member
Jul 9, 2007
12,780
13,817
It would make a mockery out of the European League system if a club can just decide to play in a different country.

Swansea is one thing, but choosing a different league several countries across the continent is just crazy.
TBF I think the choice would be France or Spain. Both neighboring both have and will have lots of catalans living in them.
 

C0YS

Just another member
Jul 9, 2007
12,780
13,817
If the Catalan clubs are kicked out of or suspended from La Liga then they won't be able to apply to join any other major European league as no EU member is going to recognise Catalonia as a country.
That's just not true, plenty of EU members will be willing to accept Catalonia as a country. A lot would depend on how independence would come about, but in principle Catalonia is a wealthy area which is very pro-European and a lot of countries will want recognize them and want to trade with them.

The EU is currently very lightly siding with Spain in this crisis, mainly because it wants to keep a core EU member happy, but if the Spanish government keep acting like idiots it wont surprise me if the EU eventually intervene against the Spanish government. It wont be able to ignore the already very negative press attention on Spain.
 

WorcesterTHFC

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2016
1,777
2,545
As i've said i don't think that catalonia will gain independence. But if they did it would be hypocritical of us not to acknowledge their right to self determination.
We were one of the first countries to recognise kosovo i don't see how this is any different.
The only difference between Catalunya and Kosovo is that Catalunya is part of an EU member state, while Kosovo broke away from a non-EU state (Serbia), and Kosovo still isn't a member of the EU.
 
Last edited:

C0YS

Just another member
Jul 9, 2007
12,780
13,817
We don't have to accept it. Gibraltar and the Falklands held legal referendums, whereas Catalonia's was declared illegal by the Spanish courts, government, and the EU. Even the UN refused to participate in the monitoring of the referendum. The Spanish constitution, which about 90% of Catalans voted for, affirms "the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation" so Catalonia requires the support of the Spanish parliament to hold a referendum. Besides, you can't declare UDI based on the result of a binary choice referendum where only one side participated and voter turn out was 43%.
Your assuming that this referendum is the end point not the start point of a greater crisis.

Spain will ignore referendum Barcelona will remain part of La Liga, as as far as Spain is concerned Barcalona is a club within its own country. This is not an issue, unless the club itself makes a political stand.

But, this crisis will continue until either 3 things happen.

1) Spanish government agrees to give greater political powers to Catalonia's government.

2) Spanish government agrees to hold a legitimate referendum and agree to respect the result.

3) Spanish government uses political and probably military means to keep hold of a increasingly dysfunctional Catalonia.

The third option could just work as Catalans just decide to get on with the rest of their lives, or it push actors such as the EU increasingly against the Spanish government and might bring the whole situation to the point where Catalan independence is inevitable. Or it could symbolize the end of Spanish democracy in any meaningful shape or form where Catalonia becomes clearly under occupation with a disenfranchised population.

This is gonna keep going for some time yet.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
The only difference between Catalunya and Kosovo is that Catalunya is part of an EU member state, while Kosovo broke away from an EU non-member (Serbia), and Kosovo still isn't a member of the EU.

We will not be a member of the eu.
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
24,010
66,826
As i've said i don't think that catalonia will gain independence. But if they did it would be hypocritical of us not to acknowledge their right to self determination.
We were one of the first countries to recognise kosovo i don't see how this is any different.

Kosovo's declaration of independence was in response to potential genocide. Until the Spanish security forces carry out actions comparable to the Racak and Gornje Obrinje massacres you can't really compare the two. I'm not opposed to Catalonia becoming independent but it shouldn't be due to a one-week long, one-sided referendum with a voter turnout that's barely larger than our turnout for the EU Parliament elections.

They don't need to as it would be down to the FA rather than the government and in most cases (albeit not Spain) they are actually an independent organisation.

Football associations tend to receive funding from their government. Independent organisation or not governments can put a lot of pressure on FAs - e.g. the British Government recently threatened to withdraw the FAs funding if it doesn't reform. If all of the EU and the UK decided not to recognise Catalonia then I can't see any FA willing to stick their neck out for the Catalan clubs.

That's just not true, plenty of EU members will be willing to accept Catalonia as a country. A lot would depend on how independence would come about, but in principle Catalonia is a wealthy area which is very pro-European and a lot of countries will want recognize them and want to trade with them.

The EU is currently very lightly siding with Spain in this crisis, mainly because it wants to keep a core EU member happy, but if the Spanish government keep acting like idiots it wont surprise me if the EU eventually intervene against the Spanish government. It wont be able to ignore the already very negative press attention on Spain.

EU members are not willing to accept an independent Catalonia - France and Germany have already said they won't recognise it. Off the top of my head France, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Croatia, and the UK have separatist movements so why would they breathe further life into those movements by helping Catalonia?

As we're seeing with the Brexit negotiations the EU's job is to look out for EU members. If Catalonia breaks away and flourishes then other regions such as Basque and Galicia will want the same. That wouldn't be in Spain's best interest and therefore not in the EU's best interest. As long as the Spanish government doesn't go to the Serbian playbook of repression the EU will always side with Spain.

If Catalonia declares UDI then it's most likely the Catalan clubs will copy Shakhtar Donetsk and continue playing in their original leagues.
 
Top