A dozen of Europe’s most prestigious football clubs have agreed to form a breakaway Super League. The Competition will likely begin in 2022 and feature 20 teams playing off in groups of 10 before a knockout tournament. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has been named the inaugural chairman of the Super League.
The founding clubs are set to receive a share of a one-time payment in the order of 3.5 Billion Euros. However, UEFA warned any team taking part in the new competition would be banned from any domestic, European, or world-level football. The clubs participating could also have their players denied the opportunity to play for national teams.
Florentino Perez came out in defense of the Super League and said- “All I do is for the good of football. The Super League is not for the rich but it’s to save football if the current system continues, football will disappear and by 2024 we would be already dead. The game was losing interest from the fans, we need to change. 16-24year old fans don’t have an interest in football. Football needs to adapt to the new generations, now”
He also added – “The major clubs of England, Spain, and Italy have to find a solution to the bad situation of football is experiencing. Real Madrid alone lost 400 Million Euros. The Super League will save clubs financially. The Super League will generate money. It’s more attractive. Manchester United vs Barcelona will be more attractive than Man United vs a smaller team. The new Champions League format will not save football. UEFA has a monopoly and what we are trying to do is save football.”
If UEFA agrees or disagrees with the introduction of the Super League in both cases players will be the ones at loss. If UEFA agrees then players have to play extra games which can impact their fitness and can lead to more and frequent injuries. If UEFA doesn’t agree then players might lose their careers in the respective leagues and the country.
