On Sunday night, 12 of the big names in Europe decided to start a breakaway league. Six of the teams are Premier League’s traditional Big Six. They will be joined by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan. The likes of Bayern Munich, PSG and Borussia Dortmund have refused to be a part of this breakaway, for now at least.
The idea of forming a league like this has been around for quite a while now, but now, it looks as if it is going to be a reality. Despite the potentially damaging implications, the clubs have signed up for the Super League. UEFA, FIFA, and all domestic leagues are working together to oppose the league.
The European Super League Format
There will be 20 teams, 15 founding members and five will be joining through a qualification process. The 20 teams will be divided into two groups of ten teams. Top three of each group will qualify directly for quarter-finals. The fourth and fifth placed teams will have to qualify via play-offs. The matches are set to be played in midweek, as the clubs hope to continue playing in their domestic leagues.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is the chairman of this league, with Juventus and Manchester United chairmen Andrea Agnelli and Joel Glazer as vice-chairmen.
This news has come just as UEFA and European Club Association (ECA) were planning to alter the Champion’s League format, switching to the ‘Swiss Model’. Instead of 32 teams, 36 teams will start the competition, and instead of eight four-team groups, there will be six six-team groups.
How has the footballing world reacted?
Following the news yesterday, ECA released the following statement:
In light of today’s reports on the subject of a so-called breakaway league, ECA as the body representing 246 leading clubs across Europe, reiterates its stated commitment to working on developing the UEFA Club Competitions (UCCs) model with UEFA for the cycle beginning 2024 and that a ‘closed super league model’ to which media articles refer would be strongly opposed by ECA.
ECA would refer to the position adopted by its Executive Board at its meeting last Friday 16th April, namely that it supports a commitment to work with UEFA on a renewed structure for European Club Football as a whole post 2024, including proposed changes to the UEFA Club Competitions post 2024. With ECA’s support, UEFA’s Executive Committee is being asked to endorse these commitments at its meeting on 19th April along with pursuing efforts to reach an agreement on the future relationship between ECA and UEFA.
ECA would refer to the position adopted by its Executive Board at its meeting last Friday 16th April, namely that it supports a commitment to work with UEFA on a renewed structure for European Club Football as a whole post 2024, including proposed changes to the UEFA Club Competitions post 2024. With ECA’s support, UEFA’s Executive Committee is being asked to endorse these commitments at its meeting on 19th April along with pursuing efforts to reach an agreement on the future relationship between ECA and UEFA.
The ECA Executive Board will be convening over the coming days to take appropriate decisions in light of any further developments.Â
Statement from UEFA:
If this league were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we — UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, La Liga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations — will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.
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.
As previously announced by FIFA and the six Federations, 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.
We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced. This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough.
Statement from FIFA
In view of several media requests and as already stated several times, FIFA wishes to clarify that it stands firm in favor of solidarity in football and an equitable redistribution model which can help develop football as a sport, particularly at global level, since the development of global football is the primary mission of FIFA.
In our view, and in accordance with our statutes, any football competition, whether national, regional or global, should always reflect the core principles of solidarity, inclusivity, integrity and equitable financial redistribution. Moreover, the governing bodies of football should employ all lawful, sporting and diplomatic means to ensure this remains the case. Against this background, FIFA can only express its disapproval to a “closed European breakaway league” outside of the international football structures and not respecting the aforementioned principles.
FIFA always stands for unity in world football and calls on all parties involved in heated discussions to engage in calm, constructive and balanced dialogue for the good of the game and in the spirit of solidarity and fair play. FIFA will, of course, do whatever is necessary to contribute to a harmonized way forward in the overall interests of football. Â
Clearly, the governing bodies aren’t happy with this breakaway league. The Premier League, FA have said that clubs could be banned from playing in the leagues. As it stands, the members of the breakaway league are already preparing to face the governing bodies in courts.
Despite clubs seemingly facing stringent action, 12 of them have signed up for the breakaway league. Fans, pundits, ex-players have all voiced their opinions against this league. The financial promise on offer is apparently too huge a compensation for the backlash faced by the leagues, fans, etc.
We can only hope as fans that this league doesn’t come to fruition. UEFA Champion’s League was and will remain the biggest club competition.