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European Super League explained: What is the format and purpose behind it? - All you need to know

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Apr 19, 2021, 04:33 PM IST
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Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus were among 12 clubs to announce a breakaway Super League in April 2021 Photograph:(Twitter)

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As many as 12 major football clubs announced a new European Super League on Monday as they break away from the UEFA Champions League. While the development was received extremely angrily by fans, politicians and respective domestic leagues, a couple of clubs have reportedly taken their names back from the breakaway super league.

As many as 12 major football clubs announced a new European Super League on Monday as they break away from the UEFA Champions League. While the development was received extremely angrily by fans, politicians and respective domestic leagues, a couple of clubs have reportedly taken their names back from the breakaway super league.

But what is European Super League? What is the format of the tournament? Will it go ahead after the critical reactions from the footballing world? Let us take a look at the main things and explanation about the European Super League – all you need to know.

What is European Super League?

Explained: Twelve clubs from England, Spain and Italy agreed to start a new competition – the Super League – governed by its founding clubs. The competition is a direct rival to the UEFA-run Champions League.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are the English clubs involved, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid are the Spanish teams and the Italian sides are AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus. The teams have 99 European titles between them.

Another three teams are likely to join the founding clubs. It guarantees participation to all 15 founding clubs while the other five qualify annually.

What is the format of European Super League?

Explained: The European Super League will feature two groups of 10 playing home and away and three qualifying for the quarter-finals.

The fourth and fifth-placed clubs will play off for the quarter-final spots and quarter and semis will be played over two legs. The final will be a single match at a neutral venue.

European Super League – what is the purpose behind it?

Explained: Europe’s top clubs want guaranteed income. With UEFA Champions League being played with a qualification process, the clubs don’t want to risk the money coming from European club tournaments.

The clubs, saddled with big debts and huge wages for their star players, say the pandemic has "accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model".

The Super League will bring them far more than the Champions League. The founding clubs are expected to receive more than 10 billion euros in uncapped "solidarity payments" during their initial commitment period.

They will also receive 3.5 billion euros for infrastructure investment and to offset their losses from the pandemic.

By comparison, UEFA competitions generated 3.2 billion euros in TV earnings in the pre-pandemic 2018-2019 season.

European Super League - Will it actually happen? 

Explained: The UEFA Super League has already been subjected to worldwide criticism including UEFA and domestic leagues. A couple of founding clubs have already taken their names back and by the looks of it, the tournament will not get much support from fans.

FIFA's immediate reaction was less severe, although it issued a statement in January warning that it would not recognise the Super League.