EUROPEAN SPLIT AS 12 PLAN NEW LEAGUE
A group of 12 elite clubs dramatically split European soccer on Sunday by announcing plans to walk away from the Champions League to create a breakaway midweek competition, called the Super League, despite the threat of legal action from UEFA.
Clubs involved in the move to quit the existing structures — in an apparent grab for more money and power — include Real Madrid, Barcelona and the American-owned Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
The other teams are Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City and Tottenham. The Super League organizers hope for three more teams to join.
No German or French clubs have signed up so far.
“By bringing together the world’s greatest clubs and players to play each other throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider football pyramid,” said Joel Glazer, co-owner of Manchester United and vice chairman of the Super League.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez would be the founding chairman of the SL, which it said “is intended to
commence as soon as practicable.”
“We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world,” he said. “Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”
While they want to only play midweek and stay in their domestic leagues, the rebel clubs were warned that won’t be possible by those competitions and UEFA.
The Super League plans, which were first leaked in January, escalated into a greater threat to implement them on the eve of UEFA’s planned announcement of a new format
for the Champions League. While the long-standing existing competition that grew from the European Cup would increase to 36 teams and add more games as desired by the wealthiest clubs, they remained frustrated that UEFA would not grant more control of the sale of television and commercial rights.
Still, the European Club Association’s board and the UEFA clubs’ competitions committee on Friday had signed up to expanding the Champions League from 2024 — ahead of ratification by the UEFA executive committee today.
The rebel clubs are all members of the ECA which has a working agreement with
UEFA, signed in 2019, which commits all its members to take part in and respect the Champions League and other European competitions through the 2023-24 season.
MLS
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored two goals, Sacha Kljestan added another and the LA Galaxy rallied to beat host Inter Miami 3-2 on Sunday in the season opener for both teams.
Elsewhere
The goal scored by Kelechi Iheanacho didn’t just send Leicester into a first FA Cup final since 1969. It was the first to be cheered by spectators at Wembley in more than a year. Not since March 2020 had fans been allowed into English football’s national stadium through three national lockdowns. Now as coronavirus restrictions are eased, Wembley was allowed a 4,000-strong, socially distanced crowd to witness Leicester’s 1-0 victory over Southampton to test the return of spectators.
• Manchester United moved within eight points of Manchester City with a 3-1 victory over Burnley in the EPL.
• Paris Saint-Germain turned the tables on five-time defending champion Lyon, winning the return leg of their Champions League semifinal 2-1 to reach the women’s final 2-2 on away goals.