European Super League (association football)

The concept of a European Super League consisting of football clubs from across Europe has been discussed from 1990s and has occasionally been officially proposed, but has yet to be implemented. FIFA and all six of the continental confederations including UEFA have rejected the formation of such breakaway league.[1]

History

In 1998, Italian company Media Partners seriously investigated the idea. The plan died after UEFA moved to expand the Champions League competition and abolish the Cup Winners' Cup in order to better accommodate clubs that were considering defecting in order to join the proposed Super League.[2]

In July 2009, Real Madrid's Florentino Pérez championed the idea. In August 2009, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger predicted a super league would become reality within 10 years time due to revenue pressure on the continent's elite teams.[3]

In February 2012, Clarence Seedorf also predicted the inception of the competition, and gave it his backing.[4] In April 2013 Scotland manager Gordon Strachan said that he believes the Old Firm clubs of Celtic and Rangers would join a future new 38-club two-division European Super League.[5]

Florentino Pérez's 2009 proposal

On 4 July 2009, Florentino Pérez criticized the current Champions League, saying "we have to agree a new European Super League which guarantees that the best always play the best - something that does not happen in the Champions League."[6] Perez stated that he would push for a break-away competition featuring Europe's traditional powerhouses if UEFA didn't do more to ensure these teams played each other annually.[7]

Under Perez's plan, the continent's best teams would remain part of their respective national systems, but would be guaranteed the opportunity to play each other at the conclusion of the regular league season.[7]

Stephen M. Ross's proposal

In 2016, representatives from Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United, were seen leaving a meeting with Stephen M. Ross' representatives that discussed the proposition of a European Super League.[8]

2016 UEFA changes

In 2016, UEFA again discussed the possibility of creating a closed league containing the 16 best teams in European football from the highest ranked national leagues. These 16 teams would have been divided into 2 groups, with 8 teams in each group. After 56 games in each group under the round-robin system, the teams that finished in places 1-4 would qualify for the quarter-finals. That plan was finally rejected and UEFA, in order to avoid the creation of a super league, made changes to the structure of the UEFA Champions League. UEFA announced that, for the trade cycle 2018–21, England, Italy, Spain and Germany would have 4 teams in the UEFA Champions League group stage without having to compete in play-offs. This means that the number of direct places will be increased from 22 to 26. The 6 remaining places will come from the champions' path (down from 5 teams to 4 teams) and the non-champions' path (down from 5 teams to 2 teams). If the title holder of this competition qualifies for the Champions League from its domestic league, the champion of the country with the 11th placed UEFA coefficient will go through into the UEFA Champions League group stage; if not, the title holder has the right to defend the trophy. UEFA Europa League defending champions also acquire the right to compete in the UEFA Champions League group stage, without the opportunity of directly securing a play-off berth as in the 2015–18 trade cycle agreements. If the UEFA Europa League champion automatically qualifies for the UEFA Champions League group stage via its domestic league, the third ranked team of the country with the 5th placed UEFA coefficient will replace the UEL winner.[9]

2018 leaks

In November 2018, Football Leaks claimed that there had been undercover talks about the creation of a new continental club competition, the European Super League, from 2021.[10] In the same month, the website claimed that both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been violating UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.[11]

2020 proposed European Premier League

In October 2020, Sky Sports claimed that FIFA was proposing a replacement for the UEFA Champions League called the European Premier League involving up to 18 teams in a round-robin system and post league playoff style knockout tournament with no relegation similar to major league sports competitions in the United States such as the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB.[12] English Premier League clubs as well as clubs from Spain, Italy, France and Germany have been invited. Barcelona has accepted the proposal for it to join the Super League, the day before its president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned.[13]

However, on 21 January 2021, FIFA and all six of football's continental confederations (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA) issued a statement rejecting the formation of any breakaway European Super League. Any club or player involved in such a league would be banned from any competitions organised by FIFA or any of the six confederations.[1] The proposal nevertheless remains under discussion by clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool; the proposal document indicates that such a league would start in the 2022–23 season, with 15 permanent members including six Premier League clubs, and each club would be paid up to £310m to join followed by up to £213m per season.[14]

Criticism

The idea of a European Super League has been heavily criticised by fans and critics, pointing out its potentially devastating effect on domestic leagues and smaller clubs: it is viewed in some quarters as simply a "powergrab" by bigger clubs for more money and control over football. Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos criticised the plans in 2020, saying "the gap between the big clubs and small will expand even more. Everything does not always have to be faster, with more and more money".[15]

References
  1. Conn, David (21 January 2021). "Players and clubs threatened with ban if they join European Super League". The Guardian.
  2. "Football: Uefa winning 'super league' war". The Independent. London. 24 October 1998.
  3. Hytner, David (17 August 2009). "European super league will be here in 10 years, says Arsène Wenger". The Guardian. London.
  4. "BBC - Chris Bevan: Seedorf predicts the shape of football's future". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  5. Ziegler, Martyn; Esplin, Ronnie (10 April 2013). "Celtic and Rangers will join European super league, says Scotland manager Gordon Strachan". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  6. "Real Madrid's Florentino Perez reveals 'European Super League' ambition". The Daily Telegraph. London. 5 July 2009.
  8. "Could Stephen Ross Pave The Way For a European Super League?". thebiglead.com. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  9. uefa.com (26 August 2016). "Media releases - Media – UEFA.org". uefa.com. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  10. "Football Leaks claims Euro Super League talks held by clubs". BBC Sport. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  11. Sanghera, Mandeep; Alistair, Magowan (6 November 2018). "Man City and Paris St-Germain 'are cheating and should be punished'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  12. Kleinman, Mark (20 October 2020). "European Premier League: Liverpool and Manchester United in talks for FIFA-backed tournament". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  13. "Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigns". BBC. 27 October 2020.
  14. Ziegler, Martyn (21 January 2021). "European Super League would have six Premier League - each paid £310m to join". The Times.
  15. "Toni Kroos opposes European Super League". Marca. Unidad Editorial. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.

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