Breakaway Euro league ‘by 2024’
A NEW European Super League with no permanent membership could be up and running by the 2024-25 season, the chief executive of the company behind the failed project has revealed.
Bernd Reichart has been hired by A22 Sports Management, which was formed to sponsor and assist in the creation of the proposed 12-team breakaway league in April last year.
The German media executive also believes the Premier League’s club-run model is a good example for the European Super League to follow.
Asked if the 2024-25 season was the earliest the failed project could start up again, Reichart told the PA news agency: “That might be the first reasonable and realistic call but there are so many variables that I can’t actually foresee. That is probably the first realistic call.”
The launch of the European Super League in 2021 quickly collapsed after Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham pulled out in the face of criticism from their own supporters in addition to other key figures across the sport.
In the end Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are the only original members still signed up to the project, but they insist learnings have been taken from the failure of 18 months ago.
New chief executive Reichart added: “First, yes, there has been an important reassessment and the concept is spreading out about openness and taking the permanent membership off the table. I can say the three clubs have credibly reassessed and taken some learnings from the first approach. I believe there is no reason not to engage in an open dialogue but we shall see.”
Reichart is also not against dialogue with UEFA despite the looming European Court of Justice date.
December 15 will see recommendations issued in the case from A22 Sports Management, which argues that European and world football’s governing bodies, UEFA and FIFA, abused a dominant position under European competition law in first blocking the league’s formation and then in their effects to sanction the clubs involved. A resolution is expected for by spring time in 2023 but Reichart insisted: “My message (to UEFA) would be an invitation for dialogue as well.”