The world of football has been rocked to its core over the past two days, with the bomb being dropped on the European game by 12 clubs that they are planning to break away and form their own European Super League. The competition would replace the existing UEFA Champions League, which is the most-watched annual sporting event on the planet, but what teams are involved, and what has the reaction been to the plan?
Which Teams Are Involved?
The plans have been agreed by the 12 biggest teams in world football, with six Premier League sides among them. Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City have joined forces with Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid to sign up.
20 clubs would compete against each other in leagues of ten, with the knockout rounds leading to a one-legged final at a neutral ground. As well as the 12 that have been announced, a further three are expected to join as founding sides, while the other five will be decided as the remaining clubs around Europe qualify for the competition.
It was no surprise to anyone that the announcement was made just a day before UEFA were set to unveil their new plans for the Champions League. UEFA claimed that Manchester United vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Juventus’ chairman Andrea Agnelli both agreed to UEFA’s new plans just before the Super League announcement was made.
What Has The Reaction Been?
It’s fair to say that the reaction from the footballing world has been one of disdain following the announcement. Ex professionals that work as pundits, such as Sky Sports’ Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, and BT Sports’ Rio Ferdinand have been quick to slam the plans. Neville revealed on Super Sunday that the plans would be deeply damaging to the game, and he was most disappointed by his former club Manchester United and arch-rivals Liverpool, as they should ‘know better’.
Gary Neville not holding back on Monday Night Football.
"Forget allegiances, forget who you support, they are scavengers, they need booting out."
📹 @footballdailypic.twitter.com/imuFVc1n6h
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) April 19, 2021
The governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA have both stood in unison on the subject and have vowed hard punishments on the 12 clubs pushing for the plans. They have claimed that clubs will not be able to compete in the domestic leagues, while players playing for the 12 clubs could be banned from playing in the World Cup and European Championships. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino claimed that FIFA would do everything to stop the plans.
"If some elect to go their own way, then they must live with the consequences of their choices.
"No doubt whatsoever of FIFA's disapproval of this. Full support to UEFA."
Read more as FIFA and the International Olympic Committee condemn 'Super League': 👇
— UEFA (@UEFA) April 20, 2021
It hasn’t just been those involved in the game that have had their say, as the most important people involved in the sport have also condemned the move. The fans are the ones that have the most to lose from the money-grabbing ploy, and James Corden spoke at length about the damage that could be done on The Late Late Show on Monday evening.
We talked about the #SuperLeague on the show tonight. pic.twitter.com/6n40FlkNsA
— James Corden (@JKCorden) April 20, 2021
How Damaging Could It Be & What Happens Next?
The Super League would be deeply damaging to the European game in ways that fans can’t even begin to imagine. The game thrives on being competitive, allowing the smaller clubs to dream of competing with the bigger sides for places in the Champions League, or a place in the next round of the FA Cup. Should the Super League happen, that would disappear. It would become a ‘closed shop’ where the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Promotion and relegation to reward and punish the respective teams based on their results is the fabric of the game that holds it together.
Earlier @OliverDowden and I met with representatives from the @FA, @PremierLeague and football fan groups to discuss action against the proposed European Super League.
No action is off the table and we are exploring every possibility to ensure these proposals are stopped. pic.twitter.com/QZMGRnXDcF
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 20, 2021
Fans don’t want their clubs with 100s of years of history to become franchises, because that’s not what they were established to become. Furthermore, the pyramid that the game is based on revolved around the money dripping down from the top. If you remove the top teams from that, the money disappears and much-loved National League clubs in England and non-league clubs elsewhere would cease to exist.
As for what happens next, that is anyone’s guess. Politicians such as Boris Johnson and Emmanual Macron are working hard to find a way to block the move, while player meetings are being called to assess what their next move should be. Premier League sides, excluding the six, met on Tuesday and have called for big six to ‘cease involvement in the project.
But Super League Chairman and Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez has admitted that plans will be moving ahead. It will be a story that will continue to arrive, but football fans around the world will be hoping that the outcome is one that avoids any possibility of the Super League happening.
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