The original European Super League collapsed within 48 hours of its launch in April 2021 – but Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are back with groundbreaking new offerings
A new version of the European Super League (ESL) is about to be established – almost two years after the original draft collapsed within 48 hours of its launch.
The controversial competition idea received a major facelift. The new proposals contain no permanent members and a multi-divisional format which will include between 60 and 80 clubs, with each team playing a minimum of 14 games per season.
The revamped ESL has been unveiled to the Spanish press by A22 Sports Management – the company responsible for promoting the idea of a ‘Super League’. It is still managed by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – who are in the middle of a legal battle with UEFA.
It is claimed that the new proposals were formed after consultations with several clubs across Europe, who are worried about their growing financial problems. There is a huge financial imbalance between the Premier League and the rest of Europe’s top divisions.
Many clubs have struggled since the Covid pandemic took hold in 2020. This was evident during the January transfer window, when 31 of the 35 most expensive signings were made by English clubs. None of these were made by Spanish, German or Italian clubs.
The original ESL, which launched in April 2021, had 12 permanent members, including six from the Premier League. Yet the new proposals do not feature English clubs.
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Rival European divisions have struggled to generate the same amount of revenue, most of which comes from huge global TV deals. The likes of Serie A and La Liga are also struggling to compete with UEFA’s Champions League television deals.
It’s unclear at this stage exactly how the 60-80 clubs will be recruited, although it looks like a promotion and relegation model – similar to UEFA’s format for their three competitions – would be adopted. ESL would be seen as a direct rival to UEFA.
New proposals may not be rejected as vehemently as the original idea due to the removal of a franchise-like structure. This was the biggest stumbling block with the original idea, as it eliminated the rest of the European football pyramid and reduced competition.
The big question is whether ESL supporters have a strong enough legal case to beat UEFA. Aleksander Ceferin’s organization is strongly opposed to the proposals and will fight tooth and nail to stop him.
A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart, who says ‘it’s time for a change’, has promised the ESL will support the women’s game, domestic competitions and player health – as well as introduce new rules on financial viability. “It’s the clubs that bear the entrepreneurial risk in football,” Reichart told German newspaper Welt.
“But when it comes to important decisions, too often they are forced to sit idly by while the sporting and financial foundations are in their hands. Our discussions have also shown that it is often impossible for clubs to make hear their voices publicly against a system that uses the threat of sanctions to prevent opposition”.
