G-14 Goes The Way Of The Dodo

The G-14, which had branded itself as "the voice of the clubs" and was contemplating expansion to 40 members, has gone the way of the dodo bird. Unlike the mythical feathered creature, however, the organization is going to come back as "a completely new organization to represent the interests of clubs at European and international level," G14 president Jean-Michel Aulas told The Guardian. The new organization will seek to replace both the G14 and Uefa's European club forum.

The G-14 currently has a lawsuit pending against FIFA that could force FIFA to pay clubs for "use" of the clubs' players in international tournaments. The organization will see this legal battle out in its present form while plotting the relaunch. It sounds like it is aiming to create a less exclusive "union" of sorts, that would represent soccer clubs and serve as a counter-balance to UEFA, FIFA and the like. They should start as a simple lobbying, or trade group and take it from there. But what do I know.