Premier League yesterday announced the plans for a European U21-league - But only eight Premier League
teams participate. Can the new league save the future for the English national team?

As it is now, the Premier League clubs have a U21-league for their talents, but the clubs wish to change the system and create both a European U21-league and a reserves-league ranging under League 2.

THE TEAMS

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE U21 TEAMS:
CHELSEA, FULHAM, LEICESTER CITY, MANCHESTER CITY, MANCHESTER UNITED, SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDERLAND and WEST HAM.

CONTINENTAL TEAMS:
ATHLETIC BILBAO, BENFICA, CHELSEA, MÖNCHENGLADBACH, PORTO, PSV EINDHOVES, SCHALKE and VILLAREAL.

The plans for a new youth league sound rather interesting with English teams taking on continental teams. However, according to the plans only eight current Premier League U21 teams will participate in the competition; Chelsea, Leicester City, Manchester City, Manchester City, Southampton and West HAm as well as the Championship sides Fulham and Sunderland. The continental teams will, as it looks now, be Celtic, Athletic Bilbao, Benfica, Mönchengladbach, Schalke, Porto, PSV Eindhoven and Villarreal.

Premier League communications director Dan Johnson told Press Association Sport: "We do believe it would be good for the development of young players, but it is not an answer to the B league proposal at all."

Again, the plans look very interesting but with only 8 Premier League sides represented in the competition, and with UEFA already having a Champions League it is hard to see how the new league will benefit England in the future. No doubt that the players will learn from playing against the continental teams, but it will not benefit the national league and is unlikely to help the teams outside the competition.



The World Cup revealed that England have serious problems - not only now - but also for the future. The Premier League simply do not breed enough talents, and it will certainly help that the young players will face continental teams. That said, clubs as Chelsea and Manchester City are not known for letting young players getting a chance, why it would be better to have more midtable teams in the competition.

However, before the competition can even begin UEFA have to accept it. More to come on this later. At the moment, Great Dane Football Blog is looking forward to another chance of seeing the next generation of British football stars.