The soccer world was shaken by the significant announcement of the new European Super League that happened last week and soccer might never be the same if these changes come through. This would be the end of the UEFA Champions League as the new competition would take place in the middle of the week, and many smaller clubs would not be able to participate.
How it would have looked like:
Well, for starters, twelve clubs have already agreed to be a part of the new competition. They would be known as the founding clubs in the European Super League, making their place inside permanent.
The original format of competition would have consisted of:
- Three La Liga teams (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid)
- Three Serie A teams (AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan)
- Six Premier League teams (Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham)
The plan is to add three more teams before the first seasons’ start, and five more teams would join the league in the second season after qualifying for it.
The final format would look like this:
- Two groups consisting of 10 teams
- The competition would start in August and end in May
- The teams would play each other in their respective groups before heading to a knockout stage
Bayern Munchen, Borussia Dortmund, and PSG have all declined the invitation to join the European Super League. Real Madrid’s owner, Florentino Perez, was named the first chairman of the Super League, with other owners holding a high place within the league. The clubs would remain in their domestic leagues, but the competition would rival the Uefa Champions League.
What did fans & experts say?
People had a lot to say about the new competition, and 99% of the fans hate the idea. Smaller clubs would lose so much because of this new league, and everyone knows that the bigger clubs are in it for the money.
Mesut Ozil had his say on the competition on his Twitter account: “Kids grow up dreaming to win the World Cup and the Champions League - not any Super League. The enjoyment of big games is that they only happen once or twice a year, not every week. Really hard to understand for all soccer fans out there…”
Ander Herrera also weighed in: “I fell in love with popular soccer, with the soccer of the fans, with the dream of seeing the team of my heart compete against the greatest,” he added, “If this European super league advances, those dreams are over.” Herrera also mentioned that this is just a plot for the rich to steal from the poor.
Boris Johnson (UK Prime Minister) is another person trying to put an end to this madness. He hates the new idea and will propose a new change of law within the UK. He would try to add the 50+1 rule, just like in the German Bundesliga. This would mean that fans would own 51% of the club, and owners wouldn’t be able to make such changes.
Response from UEFA & FIFA
UEFA and FIFA will both try to stop this as they mentioned that the players in the European Super League wouldn’t be able to play in Euros or the World Cup. UEFA’s president, Aleksandr Ceferin, was disgusted by hearing the idea.
- It should also be noted that a change like this would create all sorts of new betting opportunities. People would love betting on the best clubs in the world week in week out, and the gambling industry would profit as well.
How it looks now:
The soccer fans were very active for the past few days, and we could see the unity that we never saw before. Everyone united against the Super League, and some of the clubs listened, even though they made the mistake of joining.
The first team that left the European Super League was Manchester City, and other English clubs followed quickly. Everyone realized how the competition was slowly falling apart and started leaving one by one. After the English clubs, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan followed their steps, while FC Barcelona gave the fans a vote, and they’ll probably leave soon as well.
The European Super League chairman, Florentino Perez, mentioned that the competition is stopped for now, as they’re looking to reshape the project. Real Madrid’s president still has his firm belief in the league. We’ll have to wait and see what actually happens with the project, but for now, the fans put a stop to it, and we’ll see where that takes us.
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Sources:
- https://www.skysports.com/soccer/news/11095/12279788/european-super-league-the-key-questions-what-is-it-who-is-involved-how-likely
- https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/04/19/mesut-ozil-reacts-on-twitter-as-arsenal-join-the-european-super-league/
- https://www.givemesport.com/1677866-european-super-league-ander-herrera-becomes-one-of-the-first-players-to-speak-out
- https://news.sky.com/story/european-super-league-announced-with-12-soccer-clubs-including-six-from-england-12279893
