After all, the idea of creating a European Super League has not died (now with completely different forms), and Thursday’s ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, considering that “FIFA and UEFA have rules on prior approval of inter-club football competitions, such as the Superliga, are contrary to EU law,” promises much discussion and controversy. What is certain is that several relevant clubs and the main federations have already shown their opposition to this new competition, so the outspoken support of Real Madrid and Barcelona seems too short for the idea to succeed.
Essentially, the EU Court ruled that FIFA’s and UEFA’s decision to subject any emerging competition to their prior approval is unlawful, as is “the banning of clubs and athletes from participating in such competitions”. The EU’s highest governing body ruled that UEFA and FIFA abused their ‘dominant position’ in their action against the Super League, a competition that has now been given the green light to continue.
The responses multiplied and one of them quickly became particularly relevant. “We have won the right to compete. UEFA’s monopoly is over. Football is free. Clubs are now free from the threat of sanctions and free to determine their own future,” said Bernd Reichart, CEO of A22 Sports Management , the company responsible for European Super League project, with good news for fans and clubs: “We broadcast all Super League challenges for free. For clubs, income and payments in solidarity with football are guaranteed.”
64 clubs, three divisions and women’s league
Hours after the EU Court’s ruling, as reactions for and against multiplied, detailed details about the operation of this new competition began to emerge, without a set date yet, especially as the ‘war’ has only just begun.
This new model is very different from the one championed in April 2021 by some of the most powerful European clubs, with Real Madrid and Barcelona at the head (they are the opponents among the fifteen founders of the original project, although there were only twelve revealed), an idea that arose after harsh criticism from organizations, governments, clubs and even the fans themselves.
It was in this sense that the model was reformulated by the A22 company. The new design calls for a three-division competition, with promotions and descents such as the national championships. The 64 teams would be divided among the three divisions – the main division will be called Star League, the second Gold League and the third Blue League, entry of which will be dependent on performance in the domestic competitions.
The first two divisions would have 16 teams, divided into two groups of eight in two rounds, which would guarantee a minimum of 14 matches per team in each season. Subsequently, a knockout stage would decide the relegation of the champion and the division.
The third tier would have 32 clubs divided into four groups of eight teams each, followed by a knockout stage, similar to what happens in the two main tiers to determine the winner, which moves up and down.
In the first year of competition, clubs would be selected based on performance criteria, and the rules of financial sustainability and transparency will be fundamental to ensure fair competition among all participants.
A22 Sports also plans to create a Women’s Super League, with the Star League and the Gold League featuring 16 teams each divided into eight groups, guaranteeing 14 matches per season for each team, followed by a knockout format.
In financial terms, a minimum total pie of 400 million euros would be guaranteed in the first three years, which is more than double the amount currently paid out in UEFA competitions.
An important innovation regarding the UEFA competitions is the fact that the matches will be broadcast live on a digital streaming platform, Unify, to which access will be free and which, according to A22 Sports, aims to “democratize access to football directly. in a dimension never seen before”.
“We believe our proposal will create the most exciting football competition in Europe, and generate a better and more sustainable ecosystem for men’s and women’s football. This will strengthen historic clubs that currently struggle to compete with guarantees at international level, while at the same time bringing strength to the entire football pyramid,” said Bernd Reichart, CEO of the Superliga.
UEFA, various clubs and federations against
The procession still continues in the cemetery and the coming weeks/months promise great discussions. Especially since UEFA argued in its initial response that “this decision does not constitute an endorsement or validation of the so-called Super League”. “Rather, it highlights an existing gap in UEFA’s pre-authorization framework, a technical aspect that was recognized and already resolved in June 2022. UEFA is confident in the robustness of its new rules and, in particular, that they comply with all relevant European laws.” the organization said, confident that “the pyramid of European football, based on solidarity, which fans and all interested parties have declared to be their irreplaceable model, will be protected from the threat of disruption by European and national laws” .
Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, responded with great irony. “I saw in the English press that fans are calling the league a zombie league. They can create whatever they want. I hope they start a great league as soon as they can.” with only two clubs, I watched the aforementioned A22 Sports Management presentation and it was difficult to decide whether to be shocked or amused by the spectacle. However, we are not going to try to stop them,” he guaranteed.
FIFA, for its part, said it will analyze the court’s decision together with UEFA and the remaining confederations and affiliated federations, but defended its sporting merits and recalled “the hierarchical structure of sport”.
In addition to UEFA, many voices were heard against it, such as the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), which reiterated through the voice of Fernando Gomes that the Superliga is a “terrible idea for football, because it violates all the principles of sporting merit. “, and therefore “strongly supports the European sporting model”. The Spanish League also criticized “the selfish and elitist model” of the Super League, as did the English League – “a separatist league that breaks the link between domestic and European football”. The French and Italian leagues also opposed it.
Equally importantly, clubs such as Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, AS Roma and Sevilla, among others, have already announced that they do not intend to join the new league. Like Benfica – “the European Super League remains neither a priority nor an alternative” -, FC Porto – “the decision cannot serve to tear the football family apart. […] with respect for the European tradition of access to competitions, taking into account only the sporting merits” and Sp. Braga. Sporting defended that after the decision of the EU Court “it always supports the existence of domestic competitions and a democratic model of European competitions, based on criteria of transparency and meritocracy”.
Real Madrid and Barcelona, two of the great defenders of the original idea, were satisfied with the decision of the EU Court. “From today, clubs will control their destiny. The freedom of the fans and the freedom of football have triumphed in Europe,” said Real Madrid leader Florentino Pérez. “As one of the entities that controls the Super League, Barcelona believes that the verdict opens the door to a new high-level football competition in Europe, by demonstrating against monopolies in the world of football,” the Catalan club said. Nápoles joined the two Spanish colossi and says he is available for dialogue.
Juventus, also one of the promoters of the original project, remained silent. The only response came in a mysterious tweet from former president Andrea Agnelli, with an excerpt from U2’s song I Want to Run.
Source: DN
