NEW EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE FORMAT REVEALED
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Organisers behind the failed European Super League have revealed plans for a new competition that features promotion and relegation.
It comes after judges said UEFA rules blocking the formation of such a competition were contrary to EU law.
The initial plan for a European Super League was met with widespread fury when it was announced in April 2021 and included Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City.
Those plans collapsed within 72 hours of being announced – so what is different this time?
How would the new-look ESL work?
Bernd Reichart, chief executive of European Super League orgnisers A22, revealed details on how the competition would work on Thursday morning.
This included leagues for both men’s and women’s football – the latter of which had not previously been mentioned – and the process of promotion and relegation.
He also confirmed that the ESL intends for all of their games to be ‘free-to-air’ on their own streaming platform.
The league stages
The men’s group stage – named the ‘league stage’ – would involve 64 European clubs, divided into three tiers – Star, Gold and Blue.
Star – the top league – would involved 16 clubs, grouped into two teams of eight.
Gold – the second league – would be the same.
Blue – the third league – would have 32 teams, grouped into four teams of eight.
All leagues would play 14 matches per season – seven home and seven away.
The women’s league stage would feature 32 European clubs, divided into two tiers – Star and Gold. Like the men’s league, each would feature 16 clubs, grouped into two teams of eight.
The league stage would take place between September and April with fixtures played in midweek.
The knockout stage
In the men’s and women’s competitions, the top four teams from each group in the Star and Gold league will go through to the quarter-finals, meaning eight teams in each tier competing in the knockout stage.
There would also be an eight-team knockout stage in the men’s Blue league, with the top two teams in each group going through to the quarter-finals.
All knockout stages will have two-legged quarter-finals and semi-finals. The finals would be played in a neutral location, with the winners of each final crowned Star, Gold or Blue champions.
How would promotion and relegation work?
In the men’s and women’s Star league, the clubs who finish bottom of the two groups will be relegated to the Gold league.
In the men’s Gold league the two finalists would be promoted to the Star league. The teams at the bottom of the two Gold league groups will be relegated to the Blue league.
In the men’s Blue league, the finalists would be promoted to the Gold league. However, 20 of the 32 clubs will leave the league at the end of their campaign, and replaced by clubs depending on their domestic league performance.
However, Reichart added of teams’ ability to be promoted into the Blue league: “At this stage, more dialogue with clubs and leagues is necessary to work out the precise details.”
In the women’s Gold league, the two finalists would be promoted to the Star league. Four of the clubs will leave the league at the end of their campaign, and replaced by clubs depending on their domestic league performance.
What did the ECJ rule on Thursday?
At around 9am on December 21, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that UEFA and FIFA rules granting prior approval for new competitions are contrary to EU law, but added that the competition may still not be approved.
When the initial ESL proposals were announced in 2021, UEFA and FIFA acted against competition law by blocking the formation of the competition and then seeking to sanction the clubs involved.
A release issued by the court said such rules were “contrary to competition law and the freedom to provide services”.
A non-binding decision delivered by the Advocate General in the case last December found rules allowing UEFA to have prior approval of new competitions were compatible with EU law.
The original 2021 Super League proposal was criticised for its ‘closed’ format, with 15 founder clubs set to have been immune from relegation.
However, there are many obstacles still in A22’s path even if the judgement suggests it does have the right to pitch a new competition to UEFA that can operate under UEFA’s auspices, and for UEFA to give that competition full and fair consideration.
These include the will of clubs, existing agreements between the European Club Association and UEFA, and the fact that the existence of a joint venture between ECA and UEFA on commercial matters at the very least challenges A22’s assertions about a monopoly.
The Grand Chamber judgement’s interpretation of EU law will be passed back to a Madrid commercial court to make a decision, after the Spanish jurisdiction made the referral in 2021.
That court also placed an injunction on sanctions UEFA imposed on the nine clubs who joined the Super League but who later withdrew. It remains to be seen whether UEFA will press on with those sanctions, and potentially investigate more serious charges against Real Madrid and Barcelona.
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