Dutch clubs pulled out of a historic merger with Belgium's top sides over the weekend in a move that casts fresh doubt over a number of other similar proposals in the UK.
Last spring all 25 members of the Belgian Pro League voted unanimously to create the all-new 'BeNeLiga'.
It would have combined top sides such as Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Royal Antwerp with the likes of Ajax and Feyenoord in a new setup.
That also had Celtic and Rangers fans watching on with interest given figures at both clubs down the years have expressed an interest in crossing the border and taking part in the Premier League.
Steven Gerrard warmly touched on the topic as Ibrox manager in January 2020 and later that year it was Parkhead's largest shareholder, Dermot Desmond, who said the new digital age of football consumption may see demands for a "British League".
There's also the so-called 'Atlantic League' proposal which could also bring in Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen along with sides from Ireland and the Nordics.
Back to the low countries though and on Friday reports came in from the Netherlands that the big Eredivisie sides had developed cold feet on the BeNeLiga, quickly confirmed by a league statement.
It read: "The Dutch top clubs - Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, FC Utrecht, Vitesse and AZ - determined on Wednesday that there is insufficient support among them and the other Dutch clubs to set up the BeNeLiga.
"In recent months, serious research has been carried out into whether a BeNeLiga with a 'split season model' was feasible.
"A Netherlands-Belgian delegation had a meeting about this with the top of UEFA at the beginning of March, led by chairman Aleksander Ceferin.
"The Dutch top clubs are now stopping the project, because the necessary support within Dutch football is lacking. Dutch football is now continuing to refine the business plan as one of the next steps towards realising the NL League."
Multiple Dutch outlets have confirmed sides on the fringes of the BeNeLiga such as FC Groningen had also been consulted - and delivered a firm no.
Voetbal International even suggested the entire thing was a ruse, at least on the Dutch side, to push through NL League reforms that would streamline the Dutch league system and generate extra revenue.
Meanwhile, comments from across the border in the Flemish city of Ghent point to a number of issues with the plan.
KAA Gent chairman Ivan De Witte said: "A missed opportunity. The Belgian clubs could certainly have raised their level in the BeNeLiga.
"I was a great supporter of the BeNeLiga concept, but I too doubted its feasibility.
"I've always had a bit of doubt whether the Dutch would be able to gather enough votes. I think only a few Dutch clubs were inclined towards the BeNeLiga.
"I have a lot of respect and a lot of sympathy for the courage and the work ethic of the supporters but there were many obstacles. Just think of the number of European tickets, the contracts, the challenges on a security level."
There have of course been a number of developments since the BeNeLiga was announced, from the Super League to the recently canned Sydney Super Cup friendly between Celtic and Rangers.
Whether the Premier League question arises again in the coming years remains to be seen.
But Europe's biggest case study on the subject no longer makes for positive reading after the developments in the low countries.
