On April 18th, 2021, a coalition of twelve prominent European football clubs—six from England (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham), three from Italy (AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus), and three from Spain (Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Real Madrid)—announced their intention to form a new tournament called the European Super League. Spearheaded by the Real Madrid president and spokesperson Florentino Perez, this initiative aimed to revolutionise the sport, but faced fierce resistance from the global football community.
The Proposal
The European Super League was primarily championed by Perez, who was to serve as chairman, alongside four vice-chairmen: Andrea Agnelli (chairman of Juventus) and three American executives—Joel Glazer (co-chairman of Manchester United), John W. Henry (owner of Liverpool), and Stan Kroenke (owner of Arsenal).
The league was inspired by the format of European basketball’s EuroLeague, proposing a competition with 20 clubs competing against each other. Of these, 15 teams would hold ‘permanent member’ status as ‘founding clubs’, taking charge of the league’s administration. The remaining five spots would be awarded to teams through qualifying mechanisms determined by their performance in their domestic leagues from the previous season.
Teams would be divided into two groups of 10 for the league stage, playing home-and-away fixtures in a double round-robin format, resulting in 18 matches per team. Fixtures were slated for midweek to ensure they did not clash with domestic league games.
Post-group stages, the top three teams from each group would advance to the quarter-finals, while the fourth and fifth-placed teams would enter playoffs to secure the last two spots in the quarter-finals. The knockout rounds and final would be contested over four weeks at the season’s conclusion, with quarter-finals and semi-finals comprising two-legged ties, while the final would be a single match at a neutral venue.
Claiming Uniqueness
During the announcement, Perez asserted that the European Super League would enhance match quality and generate additional financial resources for football as a whole. He claimed it would drive significant economic growth and provide long-term solidarity payments linked to league revenues.
Moreover, Perez considered the competition a way to engage a younger demographic of football fans while also promising improvements to VAR and refereeing standards.
At the time, 10 of the clubs were prominently featured in the top 14 of FIFA’s club coefficient rankings, with only Inter (ranked 26th) and AC Milan (53rd) falling outside this elite grouping. Notably, all 12 founding clubs ranked within the top 16 on Forbes’ 2021 list of the most valuable football teams.
The plan also aimed to include Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain within the core 15 clubs; however, all three declined involvement, expressing their dissent regarding the proposal. Perez subsequently claimed they had not been formally invited to join.
Widespread Disapproval
A number of other clubs from France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, and the Netherlands echoed the sentiments of Bayern, Borussia, and PSG in criticizing the initiative.
Notably, Everton expressed strong disapproval of the ‘big six’ English clubs’ participation, accusing them of “betraying” their supporters.
Leeds United, another traditional English club, reacted dramatically by warming up in t-shirts displaying the UEFA Champions League logo with the phrase “earn it,” complemented by “football is for the fans” on the reverse, just a day after the announcement.
In Serie A, clubs including Atalanta, Cagliari, and Hellas Verona called for sanctions against the Italian members participating in the Super League.
Fan protests erupted across multiple locations, demonstrating widespread unrest against the European Super League and the clubs involved.
Voices of Dissent
Notable figures, including French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, issued condemnations of the European Super League’s formation. Johnson even suggested he might advocate for legislation to prevent clubs from joining such a competition.
Gary Neville, a former Manchester United player and now a respected pundit, was among the most vocal critics, labelling the league’s establishment as “an act of pure greed”. He expressed disappointment in Manchester United’s involvement and called for severe repercussions for the founding clubs, including exclusion from UEFA competitions and points deductions domestically.
A Swift Demise
The backlash against the European Super League was overwhelming, leading to a rapid dissolution of the project.
Within days, numerous clubs began retracting their commitments, and ultimately, the entire concept was abandoned—at least for the time being.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
