European Super League

This article is about the proposed association football club competition. For the rugby league competition that has been known as the European Super League, see Super League. For other uses, see Super League (disambiguation) and European Super League (disambiguation).

European Super League
SportAssociation football
Founded18 April 2021 (2021-04-18) (proposal)
FounderFlorentino Pérez
CEOBernd Reichart
AdministratorFlorentino Pérez
Organising bodyA22 Sports Management S.L.
Motto"One For All"
Divisions
    • Men:
      • Star League (1st tier)
      • Gold League (2nd tier)
      • Blue League (3rd tier)
    • Women:
      • Star League (1st tier)
      • Gold League (2nd tier)
No. of teams2[a] (Real Madrid and Barcelona
Countries1 (Spain)
RegionEurope
QualificationNo qualification requested, semi closed competition
TV partner(s)Unify Platform
Level on pyramid
    • Men: 1–3
    • Women: 1–2
Tournament formatsemi-closed
Official websitea22sports.com

The European Super League (ESL), officially the Super League, is a proposed seasonal football competition for clubs in Europe. It is organised by the European Super League Company, S.L., a commercial enterprise created to rival or replace the UEFA Champions League.[2] The initial iteration of the league entailed 20 teams, with 15 of them being founding members of the competition.[3]

The leadership behind the ESL is Florentino Pérez (president of Real Madrid). The other founders, Andrea Agnelli (chairman of Juventus), Joel Glazer (co-owner of Manchester United), John W. Henry (owner of Liverpool) and Stan Kroenke (owner of Arsenal), withdrew shortly thereafter in the face of rejection by their clubs. By 2023, Pérez and Joan Laporta (president of Barcelona) remained the strongest advocates of the ESL.[4]

The European Super League announcement in April 2021 was met with significant backlash from various groups: fans,[5] players, managers and football clubs.[6] The league also faced opposition from UEFA, FIFA and some national governments.[7] Critics of the league raised concerns regarding potential exclusivity and reduced competitiveness within the ESL, as the league would consist of high-ranking teams from selected European countries who would be permanent contestants in a semi-closed league format.[8]

The backlash against the announcement of the league's plans resulted in nine of the clubs that were supposed to participate, including all six English clubs, announcing their intention to withdraw.[9] However, eight clubs maintain a degree of involvement in the project as stakeholders.[10] In April 2021, the ESL announced that it was suspending its operations,[11] and a legal dispute followed.[12] National courts have ruled that FIFA and UEFA must not interfere with the development of the ESL.[13][14]

In October 2022, A22 Sports Management, a company formed to "sponsor and assist" in the creation of the European Super League, announced it would be exploring plans to relaunch the competition.[15][16] On 21 December 2023, the European Court of Justice issued a ruling that a ban on the ESL could be in conflict with certain European Union regulations.[17]

  1. ^ Nair, Rohith (21 December 2023). "A22 releases European Super League proposal after EU court verdict". Reuters. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  2. ^ Ropero, Javier García (12 May 2021). "Así tejió la Superliga su red societaria: desde junio de 2020 y de la mano de una filial de CVC". Cinco Días (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  3. ^ "European Super League – the key questions: What is it? Who is involved? How likely?". Sky Sports. 18 April 2021. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  4. ^ "'Football and fans have won' - Real Madrid & Barcelona presidents Florentino Perez & Joan Laporta celebrate new European Super League ruling". Goal. 21 December 2023.
  5. ^ Ogden, Mark (19 April 2021). "Super League is wanted only by a cabal of Europe's elite club owners; fans have been forgotten". ESPN. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  6. ^ Gardner, Jamie (30 July 2021). "No protection for big clubs in new European Super League proposals". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  7. ^ Harris, Daniel; Ingle, Sean (20 April 2021). "European Super League: backlash builds against breakaway plan – live!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  8. ^ Moñino, Ladislao J.; Pineda, Rafael; Tronchoni, Nadia (19 April 2021). "Spain's LaLiga slams plan for European Super League as 'secessionist and elitist'". El Pais English. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  9. ^ Hytner, David; Hunter, Andy; Jackson, Jamie (20 April 2021). "Chelsea and Manchester City quit Super League after FA ban warning". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  10. ^ Calabrés, Jorge (7 June 2023). "Once de los doce equipos fundadores siguen en la Superliga: sólo el Inter ha salido de la sociedad". El Español (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  11. ^ Marcotti, Gabriele (21 April 2021). "Super League suspended: Why English clubs pulled out, and what's next for them and UEFA". ESPN. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  12. ^ Barry, Coral (31 May 2021). "Football news – Super League file complaint against UEFA and FIFA with EU Court of Justice". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  13. ^ Sandikar, Abhishek (31 January 2023). "European Super League wins appeal in Madrid court, 'free' from UEFA and FIFA's interference: Reports". SportsTiger. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  14. ^ MacInnes, Paul (15 December 2022). "European Super League: legal adviser's view delivers blow to ailing project". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  15. ^ Noble, Josh; Massoudi, Arash; Agini, Samuel (19 October 2022). "New European Super League Boss Eyes Kick-off in 3 Years With Different Format". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  16. ^ Smith, Rory (13 February 2023). "A Blueprint for Soccer's Future Looks a Lot Like Its Present". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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