LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 20: Fans hold banners opposing Chelsea’s entry into the proposed new European Super League ahead of the Premier League match between Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on April 20, 2021 in London, England.
Chloe Knott – Danehouse | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
LONDON – Plans for an elite separatist football league in Europe have already been unveiled, following widespread criticism and even threats of government intervention.
Announced on Sunday, the European Super League is designed to compete with the UEFA Champions League format, which is currently the biggest annual club competition in Europe.
Twelve of the richest teams in Europe have signed up as founding members of the new league and it has been supported by financing the $ 6 billion debt from JPMorgan.
But this move has sparked outrage among lawmakers, governing bodies, former players, fans, managers and experts, many of whom are concerned about the ramifications of the structure of internal competitions.
Many consider it a cynical and extremely controversial project, because the permanent members of the league could not be demoted.
Chelsea became the first club to signal the pitching on Tuesday night, with fans protesting against plans in front of its West London stadium ahead of a Premier League match. Manchester City quickly followed the official confirmation of their retirement, and then the other four English clubs withdrew only a few hours later.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has condemned the project, describing it as “a spit in the face” to all football fans. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to “stop” him and likened him to a “cartel”.
Teams that initially agreed to play in ESL included:
- England: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal.
- Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
- Italy: Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan.
On Monday night, the president of the European Super League, Florentino Perez, declared that the plans to form the new elite separatist competition are designed “to save” football.
He pushed back against widespread criticism, saying change was needed because young people were “no longer interested” in the sport.
—CamBC’s Sam Shead and Sam Meredith contributed to this article.