Premier League ‘Big Six’ and Other European Giants Agree To Form New European Super League

AC Milan, Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have been confirmed as the founding members of a new European Super League (ESL), which is set to commence ‘as soon as practicable’. 

In a statement released late on 18th April, the ESL described the new venture as a ‘midweek competition’, with a further three teams still to be confirmed to complete the 15-team permanent core of the league. These ‘founding members’ would be a mainstay in the league, with no possibility of qualification or relegation.

The press release also claimed that this competition would run alongside regular league competitions, despite strong condemnation from UEFA, the FA and the Premier League. A supporting women’s competition is also set to be established “as soon as practicable.”

UEFA, and fellow governing giants FIFA, have criticised the new Americanised format due to its shallow and money-driven priorities. They believe that a closed Super League would raise many questions as to what the morals and integrity of the sport are. Such conditions would also leave teams lower down in the footballing pyramid further isolated from the elite at the top.

A statement by UEFA, published prior to the official announcement by the ESL, stated, “UEFA […] and all our member associations 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.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also added his government’s support in preventing the ESL from successfully launching. Speaking to the media, he said “I don’t think that this is good news for football in this country.”   

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told the Commons on Monday that, “Football is in our national DNA. We invented it, we helped export it over the world. Football clubs aren’t just business – they define communities across the country.”

“I was appalled by the announcement made late last night that a handful of clubs are proposing to form their own breakaway league. It was a tone-deaf proposal. This move indeed goes against the very spirit of the game” he added.

“We will put everything on the table to stop this happening, from governance reform to competition law, and mechanisms that allow football to take place. 

“Today I have been forced to formally trigger the launch of our fan-led review of football. It will cover the financial sustainability of the men’s and women’s game, governance and regulation, and the merits of an independent regulator. It will also consider how the fans can have an even greater say in the oversight of the game and the models which might best achieve that.”

The pandemic has been attributed as a key catalyst in the formation of the breakaway league, with the ESL themselves describing how, “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.”

With economic pressure building throughout the Football League during the pandemic, the news of a multi-billion-pound Super League arriving imminently is being met with intense disapproval. Support throughout the leagues and fan-driven communities has played a key role during the pandemic, and this announcement throws a cloud over such unity.  

In a passionate instalment of his podcast,  ex-Manchester United player and fan Gary Neville described how, “the timing of [the announcement] in the midst of a pandemic, to demonstrate greed rather than compassion is an absolute shocker.”

Neville, who is part owner of League Two club Salford City, added, “we have to protect football from itself.”

The situation is expected to develop and escalate rapidly in the coming weeks as more information filtered down from those at the top of the ESL.