Would an Atlantic League work?

Seventeen years in the making and are we closer to finding out?

In 2000, an idea was put forward that the best of the best in Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Belgium and even Portugal would compete in a league where those teams were maybe deemed too good for their current domestic league, and would see if they were better than those in other leagues. Think of it as a second rate yet continuous Champions League.

Now we move forward seventeen years and are these proposals any closer to becoming reality? Who knows. The league was looked at again last year, without Benfica and FC Porto and HJK Helsinki were included, which seemed more feasible in that Portugal would be better suited to a Mediterranean league, not that that would ever happen. The problem in some way though is that since those early saplings were hoping to grow into a fine and impressive tree, it looks further from that if you sit back and tear the idea apart.

Like I have already mentioned, the idea was readdressed last year with eleven teams at the top of that list. However, that list included one team from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, 2 from from Scotland and Belgium and 3, yes, 3 from Holland! This is where I look at it and think that I would watch this league, because we all enjoy European competition, even in league form, but Ajax and PSV are capable teams in the Champions League and Europa League. On their day they can get out of their group or in Ajax’s case, reach a European final.

With that said, Belgium had 2 representatives in the latter stages of the Europa League too. But then you have Helsinki, Rosenborg, Malmö and Celtic who either don’t qualify for the main tournaments or are the proverbial whipping boys if they manage to reach a group stage. Glasgow Rangers have only just landed on their feet after 5 years in the wilderness as well, in a league where Celtic are just far too good for in the Scottish Premiership, but awful on a continental level. Would Celtic sacrifice domestic success for mid table mediocrity amongst a league potentially dominated by Benelux?

The only thing is that these club owners care more about money than values. Aberdeen, Gent, Twente, Brann, AIK etc would maybe enjoy a season winning their domestic league, but then that entails promotion to this North Atlantic League as their prize. Obviously rules would be implemented because you can’t have five teams promoted and relegated. Champions League qualification would also be included, but the money factor is that these teams have 25, 30, 40, 50,000 plus seater stadiums. The money and full stadiums that come with this would help out each club rather than going to a 5,000 seater stadium which is half full. Along with this, what about the fans based in Glasgow who have to fly across to Finland and Norway regularly? Hitting the pocket pretty hard whereas you can get a train anywhere in Holland and Belgium for not long at all! Even driving wouldn’t be a problem.

The thing with football though is that every fan has deep lying rivalries with clubs that they will leave behind. The hatred between the clubs involved here will be included because successful clubs dislike other successful clubs, and there are local rivalries here, but I know I dislike clubs because of players they have, defeats from 15 years ago that sticks in the mind and so on. That will all be left behind, or at least, put on hold for one season if relegation was to occur.

To sum this all up from my point of view. I think it’s a great idea because with football, when you’re a kid, you fantasise about your club going abroad, beating other nations, learning about foreign land and players, but in reality, I’m not sure that it’ll either happen, be beneficial for fans and players and have that long lasting effect that maybe clubs will want. Will it be interesting for a season or two before these ‘fad’ wears off and it’s the bread and butter that these clubs and fans are used to? I guess we’ll either find out sooner or later, or wait till 2034. In other words, another 17 years.