UEFA Scrambling as More European Soccer Teams Sign Up for 'Super League'

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2021) A plan by some of Europe's biggest soccer clubs to start a new European Super League (ESL) has been met with opposition and threats of punishment from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the current leading body governing the continent's football scene.

As of Monday morning, 12 teams have signed up for the breakaway organization, including the British Premier League's so-called 'Big Six': Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham. They are joined by Spanish clubs Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, as well as Italian clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus.

The proposed league would have a season running between August and May, in which 20 teams would be split into two groups of 10. The groups would play one another before the top from each group met in a tournament, ending in a final in May. The ESL stated that it also plans on launching a women's competition, despite the current composition being entirely male.

All 15 founding clubs, including the 12 that have already committed, will be permanent members of the league, while the five remaining slots would be given to qualifying teams each season. With each founding team being offered a share of 3.5 billion Euros ($4.2 billion), money seems to be the main force propelling the formation of the new football league.

The impact that COVID-19 has had on the sport is also part of what is driving the demand for a new European soccer league among big teams. Most teams have experienced large drops in revenue as pandemic-related restrictions have limited live audiences and restricted travel for exhibition events. With many of the large teams having big Names on the payroll, extra revenue from participation in a midweek league like the ESL could make financial sense.

Despite boasting deep pockets, many of the clubs involved have had histories of securing spots in the prestigious continental competition. Currently, all of Arsenal, Manchester United and AC Milan have missed this year's competition, having missed the top three or four positions in their domestic leagues. This breakaway is seen as a way to insulate from unsuccessful domestic performance and guarantee an annual presence glitzy tournament.

ESL UP AGAINST WORLD FOOTBALL GOVERNING HEAVYWEIGHTS

UEFA officials have condemned the breakaway league, announcing that the organization will ban any player who joins the ESL from participating in the European Championship and World Cup. Clubs and players who have already joined the organization have said that they want to compete in the ESL during the midweek while continuing to play in their national leagues.

FIFA, the international governing body of association football, has joined UEFA in condemning the ESL, saying that it would not recognize any breakaway European league, and encouraging the league and its founding teams to engage with FIFA and the UEFA in dialogue instead. The ESL has since stated that they are looking forward to holding such talks, in hopes of achieving the best outcome for both the new league and football as a whole.

The main point of criticism from international football bodies, players, and fans alike is the threat that they believe the formation of a new league consisting of Europe's top teams would have on the sport of football as a whole.

According to critics, the league violates the spirit of competition by guaranteeing 15 teams a place in the new league and tournament without needing to earn a spot.

In addition, the ESL has flirted with the idea of an American-style salary cap that would inhibit smaller teams from spending large sums of money to acquire the best talent in hopes of qualifying for and winning a tournament. They argue that under the ESL's proposed model, big teams will gatekeep the league without giving smaller associations the same ability to get in on merit.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also got involved alongside the UEFA and FIFA in denouncing the proposed new league, stating that the formation of the ESL would damage European football. He also said that the UK government supports the other sporting bodies for taking action against the ESL. England's own Premier League likewise joined the critics of the ESL, claiming that it runs contrary to the principles of merit and competition in football.

French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his support for the French football clubs who turned down offers to participate in the ESL, citing, like many others, concerns over the integrity of national and continental football competitions.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is none too pleased with the initiative as well.

"The possibility of the unexpected makes football so exciting. The proposal from a few wealthy European clubs to form a closed league totally cuts against the history and tradition of the game. It is wrong - plain and simple. Fans will not accept it," Mitsotakis tweeted.

Spain's government similarly disagrees with the formation of a new European football league following meetings between the government's sports minister and the heads of those Spanish football clubs which have agreed to join.

Fans of the sport and luminaries, from retired players to prominent commentators, have by and large stodd against the move, claiming that footballing glory should be earned on the pitch.

Liverpool fans, some of the game's most loyal and steadfast, have announced they will be taking down their banners from the team's Anfield stadium and in particular, the Spion Kop, the fearful southern stands. Liverpool supporters' groups, including Spirit of Shankly have called for the season to be concluded early on account.

"What is the point in continuing with this season? The breakaway's chosen clubs don't need to push to qualify for an elite competition. They're straight through to a closed shop, a private members club for the rich," a statement from the group read.

Even Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who earlier criticized the idea of a breakaway competition, on Saturday said his opinion "didn't change." He said he heard about the announcement from the news the previous night and that he understood the fan backlash.

Retired Manchester United defender and current pundit Gary Neville launched a scathing rebuke against his former club, calling the move a "criminal act" from the club owners.