LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 20: Fans hold banners against Chelsea signing up for the newly proposed European Super League ahead of the Premier League match between Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on April 20, 2021 in London, England.
Chloe Knott – Danehouse | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
LONDON – Plans for a breakaway elite football league in Europe have already been unraveled, following widespread criticism and even threats of government intervention.
The European Super League, announced on Sunday, is designed to rival the UEFA Champions League format, which is currently Europe’s premier annual club competition.
Twelve of Europe’s richest teams had signed up as founding members of the new league, and it was backed with $ 6 billion in JPMorgan debt funding.
But the move sparked outrage from lawmakers, governing bodies, former players, fans, managers and experts, with many worrying about the impact on the structure of domestic leagues.
Many consider it a cynical project and highly controversial, as the permanent members of the league could not be demoted.
Chelsea became the first club to announce it was jumping on Tuesday night, with fans protesting plans outside the West London stadium ahead of a Premier League game. Manchester City quickly followed with the official confirmation of their withdrawal, and then England’s other four clubs withdrew a few hours later.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin had condemned the project and described it as “a spit in the face” for all football fans. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to ‘thwart’ it and liken it to a ‘cartel’.
The teams that originally agreed to play in the ESL included:
- England: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal.
- Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
- Italy: Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan.
On Monday evening, European Super League president Florentino Perez said plans to create the new escape elite league were to “save” football.
He opposed the widespread criticism, claiming that change is needed because young people are “no longer interested” in the sport.
—CNBC’s Sam Shead and Sam Meredith contributed to this article.