Fifteen of Europe’s biggest clubs are in talks to launch a European Super League, scheduled to start in the 2023-24 season, with a $ 6 billion fund backing the project, sources said. ESPN
If successful, the initiative would jeopardize the existence of the Champions League, football’s premier club competition, and UEFA will announce a new set-up of 36 teams for the tournament on Monday to prevent attempts to break out of the teams. . Break up.
As reported by The Times, high-level English clubs Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are among the 11 European teams to sign up for the Super League plan.
A person familiar with the plan said ESPN that the proposed framework includes a total of 20 teams, with 15 permanent members who cannot be demoted.
Another five teams rotate in and out of competition depending on performance, but permanent members include six Premier League clubs, three La Liga, three Italian Serie A, two Bundesliga and one Ligue. France.
Sources have told ESPN that New York-based investment bank JP Morgan will fund the project, with $ 6 billion distributed as loans to the teams.
Under pressure from the European Club Association, UEFA has drawn up plans to reform the Champions League format, with the new competition unveiled Monday, ahead of the UEFA executive committee summit in Switzerland this week.
UEFA criticized the plans in a statement, saying: “UEFA, the English Football Association and the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Association (RFEF) and LaLiga, and the Italian Football Association (FIGC) and the Lega Serie A have learned that English, Spanish and Italian clubs may be planning to announce the creation of a so-called closed Super League.
“Should this happen, we would like to reiterate that we, UEFA, the English Football Association, the RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, as well as FIFA and all our member associations will remain united in our efforts. to stop this cynical project, a project based on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.
“We will consider all measures within our reach, at all levels, both judicial and sporting, to prevent this. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merits, there is no other way.
“As announced by FIFA and the six federations, the clubs in question will not be able to play in any other league at the national, European or world level, and their players could be deprived of the opportunity to represent their national teams.
“We thank the clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to adhere to this. We call on all football fans, supporters and politicians to join us in the fight against a project like this. be announced. This persistent self-interest of some has been going on for far too long. It is enough”.
Scheduled to take effect in 2024, the revamped Champions League would include 36 teams playing 10 group matches instead of six. Larger clubs would also receive a larger share of the prize money.
Sources told ESPN that UEFA plans to go ahead with the announcement on Monday, and that any separatist competition remains a distant prospect, and that the national associations of UEFA and FIFA must approve the proposal.
Meanwhile, the Serie A called an emergency council meeting on Sunday to discuss a newspaper report stating that broadcaster DAZN is involved in new plans for the separatist league, a source told Reuters.
The meeting was convened by the league’s chairman, Paolo Dal Pino, and the Italian newspaper ‘Corriere dello Sport’ reported that DAZN, owned by billionaire Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries, has been forming the league for some time.
The report claims the meeting will be attended remotely, with the three Serie A clubs that could be part of the new project: Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan.
FIFA has previously said that players who are in a separatist European Super League will not be allowed to play in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
A tumultuous week for Serie A is drawing to a close after seven clubs have sent a written request to Dal Pino to resign over issues such as his management of plans to sell a stake in the league’s media business.
Plans to expand the Champions League are also likely to meet with fan resistance; ESPN reported last week that fan groups have already recorded their anger over UEFA’s proposed changes.