HERE’S WHY IT’S ALL KICKING OFF...
What are the new European Super League proposals?
Twelve clubs from England, Italy and Spain announced late on Sunday night that they propose a new European Super League to replace the existing Uefa Champions League competition. It would involve 20 clubs from across Europe and 15 of them, as ‘founder members’, would never face relegation. Its backers say it would operate in tandem with domestic leagues. But European football’s governing body Uefa has suggested teams would be expelled from their own leagues.
Which clubs are involved?
English football’s so-called Big Six – Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal – plus Italy’s AC Milan, Internazionale and Juventus, and Spain’s Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. So far, clubs in France and Germany – including Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich who contested last season’s Champions League final – have refused to sign up.
Why do they want to break away?
Although the clubs are among the richest in the world, they believe they should be earning even more – especially as the pandemic stopped fans attending matches and hit finances hard. Uefa was yesterday announcing a revamp of the Champions League which would provide more games, and opportunities to earn from TV revenue. But the breakaway clubs want to go further. They also want to guarantee staying in top-tier competition, rather than missing out on the Champions League spots when they have a poor season. The prospectus outlined on Sunday suggests the 15 founder members would share £3.5billion, with finance firm JP Morgan under-writing the project.
What qualifies the 12 clubs so far taking part to be considered elite?
Wealth, as much as on-field success. Eleven of the 12 taking part are among the 14 richest clubs in the world, according to recent figures, with only AC Milan outside the top 20. Even Tottenham Hotspur – who have failed to win an English league title since 1961 – are ranked ninth for wealth, according to the latest study by Deloitte. They have been Champions League regulars over the past decade, and reached the 2019 final, but are struggling this season. Arsenal are ranked eleventh on finance despite last reaching the
Champions League in 2015-2016. Yet clubs who have actually won the European Cup – including Celtic, Benfica, Porto and four-time winners Ajax – miss out.
Why is there such outrage in response?
The ‘closed shop’ nature of the proposed league is said to go against sporting principles of fair play and opportunity for all. Opponents, including many fans of the breakaway clubs themselves, fear rich clubs would grow richer and all other clubs poorer, sapping the game of competition and interest. For example, Spurs, Liverpool, and Arsenal are struggling to qualify for next season’s Champions League by finishing in England’s top four, so why should they get special access, when Leicester City and West Ham United are achieving better results on the field? Football’s world governing body Fifa has also indicated players from the clubs involved would be barred from playing for their country. So potentially global stars like England and Spurs captain Harry Kane, Belgium and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Liverpool’s Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk could miss the World Cup.