Yesterday, once again, the prospect of a breakaway European Super League (ESL) reared its head. The proposal — to carve out a continental competition in which fifteen of the game’s elite clubs could never be relegated — was met with widespread dismay by those who love the game.

Despite a year that has shown just how vital fans are for the “spectacle” of football, it was the match-going fans that once again were of least concern. Instead, if the plans go ahead, the future of football will be shaped by television and advertising — an entertainment industry that the top clubs estimate will deliver them £300 million per year, far outstripping their current domestic and Champions League revenues.

It’s important to point out that the Super League isn’t an anomaly. It is, rather, a continuation of the path football has been traveling for a long time. Some would point to the creation of the Premier League itself in the 1990s, with the incentive of Sky television money, as the origin point. But there is something qualitatively different about the clubs themselves controlling the game — at least in the Premier League–era giants of English football like Newcastle, Leeds, Aston Villa, and even Super League “Founding Club” Manchester City have been relegated.