COMMENT Football has to promote merit more than money

AT a time when the two wonderful cities they represent are under increasing physical and mental stress, how delightful to hear news of another Liverpool and Manchester United financial power grab.

At a time when their local communities are worried about their jobs, health, their homes, their ability to put food on the table, how delightful to hear news Liverpool and Manchester United are chasing more dollars for their American owners.

For goodness sake, what happened to football meaning more to these two clubs?

Yes, this kind of super league talk has been around for a long time but since when has the be- all and end- all for Liverpool ( top, owners John Henry and Tom Werner) and Manchester United been a fast buck?

This European Premier League idea is muscleflexing between FIFA and UEFA. FIFA has long been envious of the Champions League’s pull and commercial success.

And there is no doubt the Champions League needs rejuvenating. The group stages started last night and you can probably predict the last 16 right now.

But a European midweek league would be a tiresome grind for local, long- standing fans, especially as the clubs involved would probably be decided solely on the basis of their commercial pulling power.

No meritocracy, no prizes for aspirational, well- run, ambitious smaller clubs. Just the rich getting richer.

The local fanbase is not who this is aimed at, obviously. This is for the global audience, this wants to empty pockets in Asia, America, Africa and Australia. After all, they have done a good job of emptying pockets on home soil already.

This is Project Bigger Picture. For Liverpool, United, Real Madrid and the rest of the self- styled European elite, this is what they are really interested in.

All playing each other a couple of times a season for billions in TV rights and not to have to share it with the riffraff.

If anything, a revamped Champions League needs streamlining by UEFA and it should remain a competition where qualification is on merit.

That is what competitive football should mean.

But it seems FIFA would be willing to endorse a competition founded solely on one thing. Greed.

That should not be what Liverpool Football Club or Manchester United Football Club is all about.

Because, after all, that is not what their two wonderful cities are all about.