Thu, February 09, 2023
80-team European Super League proposed
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A new 80-team European Super League has been proposed which would be based on sporting performance and have no permanent members.
Bernd Reichart, chief executive of A22, the company looking to create the European Super League said “The foundations of European football are in danger of collapsing. It's time for a change. It is the clubs that bear the entrepreneurial risk in football. But when important decisions are at stake, they are too often forced to sit idly by on the sidelines as the sporting and financial foundations crumble around them. Our talks have also made it clear that clubs often find it impossible to speak out publicly against a system that uses the threat of sanctions to thwart opposition. Our dialogue was open, honest, constructive and resulted in clear ideas about what changes are needed and how they could be implemented. There is a lot to do and we will continue our dialogue.”
A22 are challenging FIFA and UEFA’s dominance over European football by arguing they are abusing a dominant position under EU competition law. The European Court of Justice is to deliver a final ruling later this year but in December 2022 a non-binding opinion delivered by the Advocate General said that blocking the formation of the new competition would be compatible with EU law.
Reichart said teams would qualify via performance at national level and all teams would still compete at national level rather than the league being a breakaway league as proposed in 2021. A22 believes the new look format will maintain the current football pyramid but have the European Super League at the top if it as the pinnacle of European football.
