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U.S. businessman Charlie Stillitano has raised some controversy with his remarks on Leicester City's remarkable run to the top of the Premier League this season. Stillitano is the Co-founder and Chairman of Relevent Sports, the company behind the preseason tournament known as the International Champions Cup. He also hosts a radio show called "The Football Show" on Sirius/XM radio, on which he made the remarks.
Stillitano has essentially called for a reorganizing of the Champions League that would guarantee that the big clubs make it in to the lucrative tournament. With big teams guaranteed a place, there would be no room for surprise packages like Leicester to compete. The businessman brought up the topic during a meeting about the ICC which involved Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.
The conference saw executives from each club meet, including Manchester United CEO Ed Woodward. Photo: NewsbeatPortal | Twitter
"What would Manchester United argue: did we create soccer or did Leicester create it?" said Stillitano. "Let's call it the money pot created by soccer and the fandom around the world. Who has had more of an integral role, Manchester United or Leicester? It's a wonderful, wonderful story – but you could see it from Manchester United's point of view too."
Stillitano's remarks are not only insulting to Leicester and other smaller teams like them, but they're also – in this writer's opinion – incredibly stupid. Neither Manchester United nor Leicester created soccer. That honor, according to FIFA, actually belongs to the Chinese.
We're not sure what the writing says, but we're pretty sure it doesn't say Leicester City vs Manchester United (circa 200 B.C.) Photo: @R1_EventosDepor | Twitter
Let's not forget as well that Manchester United were once underdogs before Sir Alex Ferguson took over and led them to unprecedented success. When his treble-winning team won the Champions league in 1999, Manchester United had not won a European Cup since 1968. Sir Alex took a team that was built on kids from the youth academy and led them to a treble-winning season in what is essentially the quintessential underdog story in football history.
These lads were underdogs once too. Photo: @mrazlanrazak | Twitter
To now propose a system that would deprive teams like Leicester from being able to possibly recreate such a run is not only unfair, it completely undermines the sport. The tournament is called the Champions League. It's pretty self-explanatory. Unlike the American playoff system, soccer is a sport of endurance. If a team can be consistent enough over nine months to end up top of the table, then they have earned the right to compete in the tournament. Period.
Yet Stillitano appears to believe that the bigger clubs deserve to participate on account of the fact that they are what makes it lucrative. He feels that viewers would rather watch Arsenal vs Barcelona rather than PSV Eindhoven vs Gent.
"This is going to sound arrogant, and it's the furthest from it," said Stillitano. "Suddenly when you see the teams we have this summer in the ICC, you are going to shake your head and say, 'Isn't that the Champions League?' No, the Champions League is PSV and Gent."
You're right Charlie Stillitano. That is the furthest thing from arrogant...if the furthest thing from arrogant is blatant and callous disrespect.
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It may be true that viewers are more likely to tune into Arsenal and Barcelona, but why is that? It is because they have a reputation for playing good football, which did not occur in a bubble. In the 1974-75 season, Arsenal were 16th, Chelsea finished in the relegation zone, Manchester City finished 8th and Manchester United weren't even in the First Division having been relegated the season before. Yet these teams are big now on behalf of significant investment from outside parties.
Who is to say that ten years from now, other teams won't follow suit? What if Leicester get significant investment following this season and become one of the top sides in the EPL? What if someone decides to save Aston Villa (who, we'll remind you, have won a European Cup and are the fifth most decorated side in England) and they become a dominant side once again? Borussia Dortmund were on the verge of financial collapse, yet they were rescued and made it to a Champions League final. Did you notice that Everton struck a deal with a significant investor recently?
Aston Villa were once a prominent team in England. They lifted the European Cup in 1982 Photo: TheVillaZone | Twitter
On the flipside, Liverpool haven't won a title since 1990, and crashed out of the Champions League group stage last year. Manchester United were eliminated in the group stage this year, being beaten by none other than PSV Eindhoven. And of course, Arsenal are perennial Champions League elimination-fodder. So, why exactly do these clubs deserve to be part of what is supposed to be Europe's elite competition? They don't. Pure and simple.
All this proposal does is grant security to those teams who have significant money at stake. It's a protection on an investment, and has absolutely nothing to do with the sport. It is a call for money to rule over competition. It is pushing the brand, rather than pushing the values that caused it to become a brand in the first place. If Leicester do win the league this season, then they deserve it and they definitely deserve Champions League football. They've played the best out of all Premier League teams this season, hands down. If the bigger clubs are unhappy at missing out on the Champions League, well then we have two words for them: earn it.
With all due respect Charlie Stillitano, sometimes money may talk, but sometimes it would be wiser for it to sit back down and shut up.
Follow me on Twitter @J_Hansen_89
