The European Super League Explained
European soccer was shaken by the most significant story in at least a lifetime when 12 of Europe's biggest clubs announced intentions to break away from the traditional soccer system and create the dreaded Super League. The expansion has the potential to transform the European soccer scene dramatically.
The Super League proposal has provoked public condemnation, with the Premier League issuing a statement saying a Super League would "destroy" the premise of open competition, and UEFA threatening to ban participating clubs from existing domestic competitions.
AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined the new league as founding clubs, headed by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Perez said: "We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world. Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires."
As part of the move, all 12 clubs are required to leave the European Club Association, the organization which brings together 246 major clubs, immediately.
Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan have all verified their departure,and ECA chairman Andrea Agnelli is also leaving his role. Games in the new tournament would be played in the middle of the week, with the Super League ruled by the originating clubs.
The arrangement provides that the founding clubs will receive approximately €3.5 billion ($4.19 billion) for their "infrastructure investment plans and to offset the impact of the COVID pandemic,” according to the Super League press release.
A women's Super League competition is also designed to begin after the men's association is up and working.
"By bringing together the world's greatest clubs and players to play each other throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider football pyramid," said Joel Glazer, co-owner of Manchester United and vice chairman of the Super League.
Barcelona was the newest European team to endorse on their website their intentions to join a new league. A statement said: "Going forward, the Founding Clubs look forward to holding discussions with UEFA and FIFA to work together in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole.”
"The formation of the Super League comes at a time when the global pandemic has accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model. Further, for a number of years, the Founding Clubs have had the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis."
The historic formation of a new league has ignited controversy, with FIFA, UEFA, and all of the football associations involved angry at the breakaway because they aren’t getting a piece of the pie. The revenue pool for clubs not invited to the new league is likely to shrink radically.
I just want to know, where was this outrage over racism in soccer?
*Crickets*
Oh wait, I forgot, they could care less. How could I be so naive?
It’s amazing how fired-up people get when money is involved, right?