The Super League Is Back with a Bang! What You Need to Know
Hold onto your scarves, football fans, because the Super League is back in the spotlight! Remember that controversial breakaway competition proposed in 2021? Well, it’s alive and kicking (metaphorically, of course), thanks to a groundbreaking ruling by the European Union’s top court. Here’s a quick rundown of everything you need to know: EU Court Says UEFA and FIFA Played Dirty: Turns out, blocking the Super League wasn’t exactly kosher. The court ruled that UEFA and FIFA’s rules restricting new competitions violated EU competition and freedom of services laws. They were flexing their monopoly muscles a bit too hard.
The New European Super League Format Explained
The idea is to have about 64 teams, divided into 3 divisions:
1. Star (16 clubs, 2 groups of 8)
2. Gold (16 clubs, 2 groups of 8)
3. Blue (32 clubs, 4 groups of 8)
Top clubs from each league qualify for the knockout rounds which are home and away, with 2 legs. The final is on a neutral venue. 2 bottom teams from the Star League will be relegated to the Gold League and replaced by the top 2 teams in the Gold League. 2 bottom teams from the Gold League will be relegated to the Blue League and replaced by the top 2 teams in the Blue League. 20 of the 32 clubs from the blue league will be relegated out of the competition and replaced by new teams based on merit. This competition will go in hand with the domestic leagues
THE NEW EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE.
— Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) December 21, 2023
64 participating clubs divided into 3 leagues:
1. Star (16 clubs, 2 groups of 8)
2. Gold (16 clubs, 2 groups of 8)
3. Blue (32 clubs, 4 groups of 8)
Top clubs from each league qualify for the knockout rounds which are home and away, 2 legs. Final… pic.twitter.com/vwlS3ouzN3
UEFA President Alexander Ceferin has made a statement concerning the Super League Is Back:
“They can create whatever they want. I hope they start their fantastic competition as soon as possible, with two clubs. I watched the so-called presentation of A22. It’s hard to decide if you should be shocked or amused by the show. Even more closed than the 2021 edition that everyone rejected. We see the decision as a chance to improve some of the regulations. But football remains united, the evidence you see all of us stakeholders speaking today at the press conference. There is a stark contrast between the press statement and the judgment. I hope they know what they are doing but I’m not so sure about that. Football is not for sale, we have shown that many times,” Ceferin said.
UEFA Not Thrilled, Obviously:
While fans might be doing a victory dance, UEFA isn’t exactly popping champagne. They’re calling the whole thing “closed” and “not football,” and even hinted at starting their competition with… two teams? Yeah, it’s getting weird.
Real Madrid and Barcelona, two of the Super League’s biggest advocates, are ecstatic. They’re talking about freedom, modernization, and putting fans first. It’s all sunshine and rainbows in their world right now.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has made a statement after the decision of the Court of the European Union was made public:
“First of all, European club football is not and will never be a monopoly again. And secondly, starting from now the clubs will be the owners of their destiny. We, the clubs, see our right to propose and promote European competitions that modernize our sport and attract fans from all over the world fully recognized. In short, today the Europe of Freedoms has triumphed again and today so have football and its fans.”
And here are the words of Barcelona President, Joan Laporta:
“We need a system of competition that will address such issues as an excessive number of fixtures and international games, that will work towards the regulation of financial fair play among participating teams, and that will put local and international players and supporters at the center. This system must respect the functions and sustainability of domestic competitions and should be a meritocracy that is primarily based on results on the pitch.”
The European Super League (ESL) is a proposed new soccer competition that would feature some of the top clubs from across Europe. It was originally announced in 2021, but was quickly met with widespread opposition and ultimately abandoned. However, a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice has paved the way for the ESL to potentially return.
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