Swiss football figures question Scottish league plans
Last updated on .From the section Football
Senior figures in Swiss football have questioned the wisdom of the Scottish game adopting a league structure deemed a failure in their country.
Further talks are planned over
The system was operated in Switzerland for 15 years before changing in 2003.
"Apart from the two or three big clubs, it was not sustainable," said Edmond Izoz of the Swiss Football League.
He was the man ultimately responsible for changing the structure of the Swiss game, which now operates two conventional top leagues of 10, and has spoken to his counterparts in Scotland about the Swiss experience.
The overwhelming feeling among those interviewed by BBC Scotland about the 12-12 model was that it weakened Swiss football, not only in terms of the quality of the domestic leagues but also individual clubs' abilities to compete in Europe and the standard of the national team at all levels.
Equally, the consensus was that the move to a top league of 10 teams had improved all of those areas.
Certainly the national team's Fifa ranking has risen to 13th from a low of 68th in 1998, ten years into the experiment. Switzerland's ranking in European competition has not fluctuated as drastically, but is also now heading in a positive direction.
But crucially, there is an acknowledgement that the decision to do away with the 12-12 was taken principally for the betterment of the game at elite level, with smaller clubs to some extent being asked to accept their status as such.
This is in marked contrast to the Scottish situation, where clubs in the Scottish Football League are demanding greater financial reward and more opportunity to play at the highest level, while the message from the football authorities is that change will be made in the best interests of all 42 clubs.
The Swiss, on the whole, say such a move dilutes the quality of football and warn Scotland to think again.
"The level, the quality of football in Switzerland now, for me, for sure is higher," Fredy Bickel, sporting director of Young Boys told BBC Scotland. "Before with all these small clubs in the league you didn't have the same level."
"There are fewer clubs who are really interesting," added Izoz. "From a technical point of view, for the development and the quality, you need fewer clubs to have good players, that's really important.
"It's one question about the interests of the clubs, but someone has to see the interests of Scottish football in the future and too many teams is not good for one country."
And though there was opposition to the reduction in the size of the leagues from smaller clubs, there appears to be a general acceptance that their role is to provide a platform for players to develop rather than covet promotion and a place in the top flight.
"When we don't have enough competition on the pitch we lose quality and our national teams - not only the A team but the youth teams - are not competitive in Europe," according to Stefan Freiburghaus, sporting director with FC Biel, who play in the Challenge League, the second tier.
"So for a country like Switzerland, to form, to educate, to prepare players to become professionals we have to follow this way."
The issue, admittedly, does not appear to rouse passionate debate in Switzerland and no-one interviewed voiced strong opposition to the concept of playing opponents four times a season, a principle bug bear of Scottish football supporters.
Nor do fans feel their opinions go unheeded.
"I don't think they are ignored because several newspapers are really interested in what people think and the board of the national federation are also interested in what the public thinks," Marc Widmer, a Swiss supporter told BBC Scotland.
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Just set up two or three leagues with 16 or 18 teams in them.
Play each other twice.
How difficult is that?
Bring six more teams into the League, three leagues of 16, play each other twice a season, two up two down, easy and simple. Bring back the mini league groups for the League Cup and make it seeded so it gives the smaller clubs games against the larger clubs. Top team of each group go into quarter finals, easy.
I know that means that some teams will have to merge or disappear (take the central belt for example - far too many small teams there) but the harsh realities of the game in Scotland dictate that radical change is necessary to encourage attacking football that will have the fans coming back for the excitement.
Fewer teams in each division has led to seeing the same few teams too often, less variety, 4th top not far away from 4th bottom and negative football. Why not try 2 divisions of 16 each, play twice each.
If all the choices are either between 10 league team or this awful 12/12 then why bother. Neither of these is going to appeal to us poor uneducated fans Mr. Doncaster.
If you're sick and the precsription medicine doesn't work, it is unlikely that putting a gun to your head is a great idea.
A sixteen-team top league is, for a number of top clubs, a similarly unhelpful remedy.
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30.db
The reason we haven't qualified for 15 years is nothign to do with league structure.
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I know.
It's confirmation bias from those who claim it is.
Our players are simply not that good. They have poor technique by international standards and we play rigid formations that allow little or no expression on the ball. It also makes us predictible.
We need an overhaul at youth level were kids are taught technique over fitness and strength.
Caley Thistle an amalgamated team, best season ever, competing for Europe and 2nd place in the league. Crowd the other night just over 2K. Again you miss the problem which every non OF fan bar you seems to understand, the number of OF buses leaving their town/city every weekend. BTW I know someone that used to support Inverness Thistle and will never support Caley. Now supports Celtic
It absolutely makes sense in every possible area and ABOVE ALL makes more MONEY. Yet we hang onto the status quo and this 12-12.
Euro/Nat success rank way behind what I want for my team so for this set up sucks.
I know people say it'd be more interesting but I think the fact it's been tried before shows it wasn't. Lots of meaningless games and all due respect to Arbroath but no fun for them getting beat each week. If you like football you want to see quality, not just different teams.
Who is this 'English' you are talking about. 5% of your EPL is currently made up of non english teams and possibly next season that may double to 10%. Add that to the non english money backing most of the teams and at least 80% of the players and managers being non english to what 'english' part are you referring to.
Do you really think that a Dundee City would challenge the SPL and get crowds of 15K or more? I support Aberdeen and we are one team in a city slightly larger city than Dundee. We don't compete. Amalgamate if you want but you will still only get 5-6K at home games. The biggest problem is how many buses leave Dundee every week to support the OF. Sort that, sort Scottish football.