The Super League Discussion | Vital Football

The Super League Discussion

Spursex

Alert Team
European Super League: Six English clubs sign up to breakaway league in challenge to UEFA plans
Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City all agree to plan

exclusive

updated
Martyn Ziegler, Matt Lawton
Sunday April 18 2021, 4.00pm, The Times
Manchester United Football Club
Premier League
Football

Liverpool and Tottenham contested the 2019 Champions League final, with Mo Salah opening the scoring. Both clubs have signed up to plans for a breakaway league




Six English clubs are among 12 European teams who have signed up to a breakaway Super League in an extraordinary development on the eve of Uefa’s announcement of a new Champions League format.
Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have signed up to the breakaway plan with Manchester City the last of Big Six to do so, sources with knowledge of the development have told The Times.
The Super League development is a direct challenge to Uefa which is to announce its new 36-team Champions League format on Monday, to come into force from 2024. The European governing body had thought it had seen off the threat of a breakaway but is now involved in urgent talks with other football bodies about the new development.

Uefa is considering its response but insiders say they are preparing to take a tough line. The extreme response would be to impose a ban from European competitions for next season on the clubs who have signed up.
Today the Premier League held an emergency board meeting and wrote to all 20 clubs, with chief executive Richard Masters calling for the rebels to “walk away immediately before irreparable damage is done”. In a letter seen by The Times, Masters told the clubs that forming such a breakaway would be a direct breach of Premier League rules.

Uefa had succeeded in winning the support of the European Club Association (ECA) board and the European Leagues but it emerged today that the Super League threat had been revived with the ECA chairman Andrea Agnelli, also the Juventus president, appearing to throw his hat in with the breakaway clubs led by Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Other members of the ECA board, who had agreed to the new Champions League format, and Uefa officials have attempted to contact Agnelli since Saturday evening but one source said he “has gone off the radar”.
City are believed to be the last of the six English clubs to join. The Premier League leaders, along with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, are thought to have been reluctant to join but did so because they did not want to miss out.
Uefa insiders insist they will press ahead with the announcement for the new-look Champions League which will see clubs playing 10 group matches instead of six.



If the Super League clubs do not back down then the dispute is likely to end up in courts given that Uefa and Fifa have promised to ban any clubs and players who take part in breakaway competitions from their tournaments such as the Euros and the World Cup.

The Premier League did not hold back in voicing its opposition to a breakaway Super League.
“Such a European Super League would be deeply damaging to the European pyramid, and immediate and future prospects of the Premier League and its member clubs and all those in football who rely on our funding and solidarity to prosper,” they said.

“We do not and cannot support such a concept. Premier League rules contain a commitment amongst clubs to remain within the football pyramid and forbid and clubs from entering competitions beyond those listed in Rule L9, without Premier League Board permission. I cannot envisage any scenario where such permission would be granted. It is the duty of the Premier League Board to defend the integrity and the prospects of the League as a whole, and we will have no choice but to do everything we can to protect and maintain both.

“As previously evidenced, we would expect complete condemnation from all parts of the game, fans groups and the UK Government. This venture cannot be launched without English clubs and we call upon any club contemplating associating themselves or joining this venture to walk away immediately before irreparable damage is done.”

Uefa also condemned the proposals, issuing a statement that said: “If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.”
“As previously announced by FIFA and the six Federations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.”

The Times revealed in January that a proposal document showed founder members of a proposed European Super League would be offered up to 350million euros (£310million) each to join the competition.

There would be among 15 permanent founding members and five other clubs, who would qualify on an annual basis. They would be split into two groups of 10 and play between 18 and 23 European matches a season.

The Super League proposals include:

- The 15 founder clubs sharing an initial 3.5billion (£3.1billion) euro “infrastructure grant” ranging from £310million to £89million per club which can be spent on stadiums, training facilities or “to replace lost stadium-related revenues due to Covid-19”.

- The format would see two groups of 10 clubs who play home and away, with the top four from each group going through to two-legged quarter-finals, semi-finals and a one-legged final.

- Matches would be midweek and clubs would still play in domestic leagues

- Clubs would have rights to show four matches a season on their own the digital platforms across the world

- Income from TV and sponsorship would favour the founding clubs: 32.5% of the pot would be shared equally between the 15 clubs, and another 32.5% between all Super League clubs including the five qualifiers

- 20% of the pot would be merit money “distributed in the same manner as the current English Premier League merit-based system” according to where clubs finish in the competition or group if they don’t make the knock-out stage

- The remaining 15% would get a “commercial share based on club awareness”
- A cap of 55% of revenues permitted to be spent on salaries and transfers (net)
- A ‘Financial Sustainability Group’ would monitor clubs’ spending

The emergence of the written proposals led football’s authorities to take unified action to combat the threat. A Super League would be disastrous for the Champions League which relies on the glamour of the top clubs to attract broadcasters.
 
I got the PL, it was desperately needed so that clubs invested in academies and stadiums and the quality of the players we were/are watching to compete with la Liga and Seris A both of which were killing us....

But this is a step too far, if as seems certain this is confirmed I will never again go to a Tottenham game, it will destroy international football forever.
 
I do wonder how we even managed to get ourselves included in a super league of 12. It's certainly not on our pitiful record of one league cup in 30 years. It's a complete embarrassment compared to the other 11. Therefore, I can only assume it's based on turnover and ours in recent years is nearly always just inside the top 12 in Europe. And I suppose there is the potential for future earnings which would be factored in. On current playing form though it could be quite a humiliating experience.
 
makes you wonder - how many will be sickened to the pit of their stomach like this as I am? And will they too vote with their pockets - hate to think what they think they'll be able to get away with in ticket prices for the ordinary fan?
Well looking at the short term with Covid restrictions in place... i'd imagine whatever they liked.
 
European Super League: Uefa furious at 12 major clubs signing up to breakaway plans
By Simon StoneBBC Sport
Last updated on
17 minutes ago17 minutes ago.From the section European Football
3666
_118103467_thiagokante.jpg
Liverpool and Chelsea are understood to be part of the group that have signed up to a breakaway league
Senior Uefa figures are furious that 12 major European clubs, including the 'big six' from England, have signed up to a breakaway European Super League.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are part of the group.
La Liga's Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid and Serie A's AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus are involved.
Uefa said it will use "all measures available" to stop the "cynical project" of a breakaway Super League.
None of the clubs involved have commented yet but it is thought a statement is likely to be released later on Sunday.
BBC Sport was told last week of plans for some sort of confirmation about a European Super League.
Uefa had hoped to head off plans with a new-look 36-team Champions League set to be confirmed on Monday.
The European governing body released a joint statement together with the English Football Association, Premier League Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), La Liga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) as well as Serie A on Sunday.
They said they will "remain united" in trying to stop the breakaway, using both judicial and sporting measures if required.
They also reiterated Fifa's stance that players taking part in the Super League would be banned from all other competitions at domestic, European or world level and could be prevented from representing their national teams.
In a separate statement, the Premier League said it condemned the proposal as it "attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart" of domestic and European football.
Juventus owner Andrea Agnelli, Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and AC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis would all have had a significant input into the Champions League discussions on Friday.
_118103298_gettyimages-1294934235.jpg
Juventus and AC Milan have signed up to the breakaway league plans
However, those clubs are among those to have broken ranks, to the fury of Uefa, whose president Aleksander Ceferin wanted to stave off a Super League threat.
The Premier League said a European Super League would "destroy" the dream of fans that "their team may climb to the top and play against the best".
It added such a league would "undermine the appeal of the whole game" and that they would work with the FA, the English Football League, Professional Footballers' Association, League Managers Association and fans to "defend the integrity and future prospects of English football".
The FA said it will "not provide permission to any competition that would be damaging to English football" and will "take any legal and/or regulatory action necessary" to stop it.
Bundesliga sides are opposed to the plans because the German model means commercial investors cannot have more than a 49% stake in clubs, so fans hold a majority of their own voting rights.
It is understood French Ligue 1 side Paris St-Germain are not part of the group.
Uefa said it thanked "those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up" to the breakaway league.
"We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced," they added.
"This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough."
Quite when the European Super League would start is unclear.
However, world governing body Fifa has already said it would not recognise such a competition and any players involved in it would be denied the chance to play at a World Cup.
Serie A has called an emergency board meeting to discuss the matter.
The Football Supporters' Association said it is "totally opposed" to the plans, which it said were "motivated by nothing but cynical greed".
They added: "This competition is being created behind our backs by billionaire club owners who have zero regard for the game's traditions and continue to treat football as their personal fiefdom."
The UK government's Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said in a statement that "we are concerned that this plan could create a closed shop at the very top of our national game".
He added: "We have a football pyramid where funds from the globally successful Premier League flow down the leagues and into local communities.
"I would be bitterly disappointed to see any action that destroys that."
France's President Emmanuel Macron said he "welcomes the position of French clubs to refuse to participate" in a European Super League "that threatens the principle of solidarity and sporting merit."
A statement from the French presidency added: "The French state will support all the steps taken by the LFP [France's professional leagues governing body], FFF [France's football association], Uefa and Fifa to protect the integrity of federal competitions, whether national or European."
It has been agreed the new-look Champions League will involve an initial phase where every club plays 10 matches each rather than the current group phase.
In addition there would be play-offs, followed by a knockout phase.
The most controversial aspect of the proposals surround the allocation of the four additional places, with two being reserved for the clubs ranked highest in Uefa's co-efficient table who fail to qualify for the Champions League through their domestic competition, but do secure some kind of European football.
At the moment, Liverpool and Chelsea would be the clubs who benefited from that system if it was in place this season.
 
Daniel is taking a big risk with this, isn't he? When you think of the boards and chairmen of most of the other clubs, they're businessmen first and foremost. The football is incidental. And a lot of them never even attend the games. And like the Glazers at Man U, if there's a hint of protest they can stay away. But Daniel is a Spurs supporter. He's going to have to face up to the fans if this goes ahead. I wouldn't like to be in his shoes.
 
Daniel is taking a big risk with this, isn't he? When you think of the boards and chairmen of most of the other clubs, they're businessmen first and foremost. The football is incidental. And a lot of them never even attend the games. And like the Glazers at Man U, if there's a hint of protest they can stay away. But Daniel is a Spurs supporter. He's going to have to face up to the fans if this goes ahead. I wouldn't like to be in his shoes.

He doesn't have the final say; he'll have been told what to do, even if he doesn't agree with it.
 
I know it's been rumbling away in the background but how have they managed to keep it so quiet up to this stage? There's nearly always leaks with anything of this magnitude.
 
Havent seen an announcement/statement of any club yet. Only media talking about it. dont know what to make of this.
 
The investment by the USA bank is 5 billion and the financial benefit to us in particular would be huge. We are not likely to be in the CL or even the Europa so it represents a chance to play in an elite competition with big rewards.
I haven't heard which TV company would screen the games.
 
Dont give a fcuk about rich rewards possibilities...my team of 60 years will not be my team any longer....wont matter what manager we have or greedy players we get ..i wont be supporting them any longer or watching em if this happens....money always wins does it not, fcuk the ordinary fans. fcuk tradition fcuk our history as it will end as we know it, ...rocket prices here we come. I will have to consider to whom my new alegiance will be......if it happens
 
Like most, I don't want an elitist European Super League to happen. However, I also don't want a continuation of the circus that is FIFA, UEFA and The Premier League. I'm hoping this is the big clubs flexing their muscles in a way that makes the institutions understand that there is no further tolerance to their command and control behaviours. They need to start serving football better.

That being said, would I rather watch Spurs play Sheff Utd or Real Madird? Would I rather watch Modric or Lundstram? Would I rather have 20 teams in the PL or 16? Would I like a system where Sheff Utd or Tenerife could get in amongst the elite clubs?

That is the problem with 12 clubs just going it alone in this way. I could handle the CL moving to a league system. What I couldn't handle is that some teams get an automatic right to play in it, which in turn opens up the constant revenue streams for them to stay in it. I don' even agree with City getting £40m more than Sheff Utd just for the privilege of playing in the same division. £2m per place is nonsense.

Anyway, I'll probably focus more on watching my local Helenic League side rather than all this nonsense anyway. It's more fun.
 
I'm not too sure Daniel is fully behind it Gary. It's been reported that Utd & Liverpool are the 2 that keep pushing the idea & that the rest are a little more hesitant.

I s'pose we'll just have to wait for the club to make an announcement. I would expect that to follow shortly.