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The highly debated European Super League received a glimmer of hope for a potential comeback after a significant decision made by the European Court of Justice.
Despite this, teams in the Premier League may still not have the opportunity to participate in the newly formed competition.
The European Court of Justice’s highest court stated that Fifa and Uefa misused their dominant power by completely banning clubs from participating in a ESL. However, they also mentioned that the Super League may still not receive approval.
A22, a company focused on sports development, was established to help establish the ESL. They alleged that the governing bodies had a monopoly and were violating the EU’s laws on competition and free movement.
“The opportunity to participate in competitions has been granted to us. The monopoly of UEFA has come to an end. Football is now liberated,” stated Bernd Reichart, CEO of A22. In a written statement, Reichart further stated, “Clubs are no longer at risk of penalty and have the freedom to shape their own destinies.”
This is all the information we currently have regarding the new European Super League.
Can Premier League teams participate?
It seems that even if the new proposal is approved, Premier League clubs will not be able to participate.
The UK government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport issued a statement stating that a bill is expected to become a law, creating a new autonomous football regulatory body. This would prohibit British clubs from participating in a breakaway league.
“The decision to form a separate competition was a significant event in the realm of English football and was widely disapproved by supporters, organizations, and the governing body,” stated a spokesperson from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS).
In response to the situation, we promptly initiated a review of football governance led by fans. This review recommended the establishment of an independent regulator for English football. We are currently working on passing a new law to make this a reality, which will prevent clubs from participating in any future breakaway competitions.
Following Brexit, the UK is no longer subject to EU laws. As a result, clubs would not have the option to make appeals to the European Court of Justice.
How would the proposed European Super League appear?
After the significant ruling, A22, the corporation supporting the European Super League, broadcasted a video outlining its ideas for the upcoming men’s and women’s tournaments.
The CEO, Bernd Reichart, has repeatedly emphasized that the proposed men’s competition is a three-tier structure involving 64 teams and that there will be no permanent members.
The 64 teams would be divided into three tiers, which are named Star, Gold, and Blue. The highest tier, referred to as the ‘star’ league, would consist of 16 teams, as would the Gold tier. The Blue tier would have 32 teams.
The highest two levels would consist of two divisions of eight, where every team would compete in 14 games, half at home and half away. The top four teams from each division would advance to a two-part quarter and semi-final round, leading to a final held at a neutral location.
The Blue league will consist of 32 teams divided into four groups of eight. The top two from each group will advance to the quarter-finals and semi-finals, which will be played over two legs.
How can teams earn qualification?
The process for initially assigning teams to leagues is ambiguous, but after that, the two lowest-ranked teams in the top league would be swapped out for the top two teams in the second-tier. This same system would apply for the ‘gold’ and ‘blue’ leagues. However, in the third-tier, 20 out of 32 clubs will drop out of the competition and be replaced by teams that have earned their place through their performance in domestic competitions.
How about the competition for women?
The women’s version is comparable to the men’s, except it does not have a third tier. It will consist of 32 teams divided into two tiers.
However, in terms of demotion, the last two teams in the highest division would be swapped out for the top two teams from the division below. In the lower division, four teams would be replaced by others based on their performance in the domestic league.
Source: independent.co.uk
