What is the European Super League?
The European Super League was introduced as a seasonal competition that initially would have been played among twenty European football clubs. Twelve of them were the founding members of the tournament. It was organized by the European Super League Company, S.L, a commercial enterprise developed to challenge UEFA Champions League. The Coronavirus hit the football world hard and generating more revenue becomes crucial. The idea was cultured secretly a while ago and then announced by Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid and the Chairman of the proposed ESL. American investment bank JP Morgan Chase wants to invest €5 billion in this project.
Formation of the European Super League:
Among the 12 founding members of the European Super League, there were six premier league sides in Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and both Manchester clubs. Three Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Athletico Madrid, and three other Italian powerhouses Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan.
The idea was to build a tournament of 20 clubs. 12 of them are permanent founding members and the league authority invites another 8 clubs every season to be a part of the competition. They will split into two different groups and play in a round-robin league system in the group round. Then subsequently reach the knock-out games.
As the biggest and most popular clubs are playing regularly against one another, it would surely attract more fans inside the stadium and before the TV set. So revenue from television rights will be higher and sponsors will provide more money too.
Protest & Contradiction:
The announcement of the European Super League in April 2021 earned wide disagreement from fans, players, managers, politicians, and other clubs. FIFA, UEFA, and some national governments also opposed the notion. Much of the criticism about ESL was due to concerns about elitism and lack of competitiveness within the event.
The backlash against the declaration oversaw nine of the clubs involved comprising all six English clubs announcing their desire to abolish the project. Only Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus remained loyal to their pursuit of changing the format of European football. Nevertheless, they said, they would change the formation of the competition.
Current state of European Super League:
The three clubs are searching for new ways to generate earnings after the pandemic. A series of friendlies in the USA is their latest try at doing this after the failed European Super League in 2021.
The three clubs are in talks over a pre-season tournament in North America, according to a report on ESPN. They have offered Serie A giants AC Milan in this competition. It is speculated that the event would take place on the west coast of the US. Several cities are striving to host an El Clasico between Madrid and Barcelona.
Involving clubs approach:
Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus are looking to maximize their profit from the fixtures, as they intend to cover the huge losses they have suffered since the pandemic hit in 2020.
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In August 2021, Barcelona president Joan Laporta disclosed the club was £1.15 billion in debt, though claimed this was not all down to the Covid.
For pre-season, touring to the United States was a common phenomenon among the clubs before the pandemic. Among the involved three, two Spanish sides last visited in 2019 and Juventus in 2018.
The first-ever El Classico played outside Spain, took place in Miami in 2017, Barcelona beat Real Madrid in that match.
What might happen:
It will be tougher for UEFA to stop the three remaining clubs as their huge organizations. Specially Madrid and Barcelona are two of the biggest clubs in sports not only just in football but also in any form of competitive games. They have hundreds of millions of followers over the world. Another thing is, that money will be a catalyst in this approach. Though Uefa President Alexander Cefarin criticized the idea brutally. Therefore, we have to wait to see what will happen in European football.
