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The European Super League is all set to become a reality as 12 of Europe's biggest clubs attempt to break away and are all set to form a league of their own in a move that could change club football as we know it.
The beautiful game is all set to undergo a mega makeover but we're not very excited to see the results. Some of Europe's top teams have agreed to break away and form a Super league where 15 founder clubs and 5 annual qualifiers will compete over the course of a season.
Currently 12 teams have signed up for it and the founding clubs have announced that three more will join before the inaugural season kicks off in August. AC Milan, Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham are the 12 sides who have signed up as of now.
In a move that is entirely financially motivated and reeks of greed, football could depart from its roots and become an elitist establishment through the European Super League. Football fans are not happy with the news and UEFA is preparing to go to war against the clubs who have signed up.
Without further ado, let's take a look five things we need to know about the European Super League.
#1 15 founding clubs and 5 qualifiers clubs will compete and the competition kicks off in August
The main intention of the European Super League is to rival the UEFA Champions League. So far, 12 teams have agreed to break away and form the Super League. As such, UEFA and the domestic leagues could ban players from playing elsewhere altogether.
Anyway, the competition is scheduled to start in August and all matches will be played in midweek. Ultimately, the top teams in the competition will square off in the playoffs to determine the winner.
#2 The format of the European Super League
The league will have two groups comprising of 10 teams each. Each team will play all the other teams in their group twice, at home and away, during the course of the season. All matches will be played in midweek.
The top four from either group will qualify for the knockout stages. The knockout stage will start with a two-legged quarter final and will be followed by the semi-finals and the final.
The European Super League matches are to be played in midweek so as to not disrupt the domestic league season as the clubs will take part in that. The league is trying to bring together the best teams in the world to provide entertainment of the highest level.
But they're missing out on the human aspects of the game that make it so special to viewers and fans.
#3 Reaction of FIFA, UEFA, Premier League etc.
The announcement of the European Super League has not gone down well at all. In fact, fans and federations alike have expressed their disgust at the thought of the richest clubs in the world breaking away and forming an elitist group of their own.
According to the very reliable Fabrizio Romano, UEFA, the Premier League, FIFA, Serie A and the La Liga are all on the same page about the Super League and have all disapproved of the idea. Their stance is that clubs that decide to break away and join the Super League will be banned from playing domestically and internationally.
This is what UEFA have said:
“We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.
“The clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.”
Premier League has also been quite strong in their criticism of the clubs that have signed up for the European Super League.
“Fans of any club in England and across Europe can currently dream that their team may climb to the top and play against the best. We believe that the concept of a European Super League would destroy this dream.”
#4 How have football fans reacted?
Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are the Premier League sides that have signed up for the European Super League. Admonishing the move, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust released a statement today that read:
“We have always tried to maintain a pragmatic position of engagement with the board of THFC, even under the most trying of circumstances. But enough is enough. The current board is prepared to risk the club’s reputation and its future in the opportunistic pursuit of greed. One of England’s most famous clubs could find itself expelled from English league competition. Its players could be banned from international competition. And yet the current owners – mere custodians of a 139-year-old institution – are prepared to risk it all for avarice and self-aggrandisement.”
Well, not exactly everyone is opposed to the idea. Some fans, for example, believe that it will be more competitive and evenly poised than the Bundesliga is for Bayern.
Manchester United legend and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville went on a two-minute rant that pretty much sums it up.
#5 What the European Super League means for the game
The original plan of the European Super League seems to be to replace the UEFA Champions League. However, UEFA insist that teams taking part in the Super League will be banned from playing domestically. This means that if teams want to play in the European Super League, they will have to opt out of playing in domestic competitions.
All in all, it's not a good look for the big clubs. Football is about the fans and the culture that nurtures it. It's about the wide range of emotions that take us on roller coaster rides every week. It's about Leicester City beating the 5000/1 odds to become the Premier League champions and qualifying for the Champions League.
The European Super League is a move that big clubs are making so that they can make more money for themselves. The move in itself will alienate smaller clubs and render them poorer. It will be the end of the UEFA Champions League and that in itself is a huge mood dampener.
