European Super League legitimised – what are the positives and negatives?

The European Court of Justice have ruled that UEFA and FIFA acted against competition law in blocking the formation of the European Super League in 2021. That is quite the blow for football’s governing bodies, where now the Super League can accelerate plans to replace the Champions League.

Photo via Marco Verch / Flickr

Anticipating that announcement, A22 Sports, the company behind the league proposed a new format this morning, detailing how the competition will work ahead of an introduction.

There are plenty of questions, and some fans have certainly been swayed in terms of opinion in contrast to April 2021, where practically every football fan was strongly against the new competition. Therefore, the positives and negatives must be weighed up.

The Positives

-        Free viewership

We are in an age where if you want to legally watch live games in the UK, it will cost you hundreds of pounds a year. It is frankly forcing fans to illegally stream instead of paying for Sky Sports, TNT Sports, and Amazon Prime. The television deals are pricing out fans.

Free to watch games is something that is so appealing. Football should be free or affordable to all the fans, so this is something that will guarantee to get the fans alongside, and finding a way to complain about free viewership is not possible.

-        Financial benefits for clubs

The biggest reason for clubs seeking out the Super League was the financial benefits. Football clubs will generate greater revenue and those who are financially struggling, most notably Barcelona, will welcome a model which will give greater financial freedom, which will therefore support the football pyramid as a whole.

-        Better format than new Champions League

The new UEFA Champions League format is messy. The big teams will be playing each other too often, which will take off that gloss and shine of a big European clash, which you often have to wait to see until the latter stages of the season.

Clubs will have a greater chance with a minimum number of games played rising to 14, with the Round of 16 non-existent in the A22 proposal. While those who are against more games likely frustrated by this (probably Jurgen Klopp), this creates greater competition and chance for clubs to make comebacks if they begin the campaign poorly.

New ESL Proposal (via A22 / X)

The Negatives

-        Saudi Arabia on the footballing table?

Albeit a small detail, it is noticeable on the recent proposals of the format that the word European is not being used as often, just ‘Super League’. Does this mean that teams from the Middle East could be invited in, creating a global competition?

Saudi Arabia do not have leverage on the global game yet due to FIFA and UEFA, particularly in Europe. Investment from PIF could be damaging long-term for the game, not to mention the human rights which does not represent the world’s game, which is absolutely inclusive. The current governing bodies could be corrupt, but the Super League could breed a monster.

-        Real Madrid & Barcelona gain authority

Florentino Perez and Joan Laporta will have a grin as wide as their face if the Super League forms. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona never officially left the project, and both clubs are set to earn royalties for doing so.

An independent regulator is needed in football, and giving freedom and power to football can create exploitation and a pyramid where the elitist is rewarded for mediocrity, demeaning competition. A club-owned system will suit their interests but not the rest of the footballing pyramid and is particularly damaging to the great reputation the game has had.

-        English clubs physically cannot join

Literally. After the disaster ridden 2021 launch of the Super League, the so-called big six were punished with heavy fines and signed a deal to never join any future breakaway league. The government are also desperately trying to pass laws to prevent this happening. Legally, it just does not work without severe punishment.

What does this mean for the Super League? They lose a gargantuan English market for their new competition. Manchester United and Liverpool are arguably the two biggest clubs on the planet, with a gigantic sphere of influence and fanbase which the breakaway competition cannot afford to lose out on.

-        Most European League clubs do NOT want in

Due to the elitist nature of the format in the new Super League, unsurprisingly there has already been strong backlash from clubs in Spain, Germany, and France. Clubs in Germany cannot join due to the socio-political nature of the situation of ownership, where each club has fan representation on the boards who will have the power to cancel any chance of this.

Statements from Premier League and La Liga club affirms that a host of clubs are strongly against the new competition. Football does not need is a divide, there only needs to be one absolute format. UEFA will be feeling the pressure to please the football clubs and fans.

-        The Champions League is iconic

Istanbul. Zidane’s Volley. Bale’s bicycle kick. The Champions League has delivered the vast majority of great football history in the past three decades, enough where that music is so iconic that it should not even be considered to be replaced.

Names such as the ‘Blue League’ and ‘Star League’ simply sounds as if it is a child’s tournament. It sounds utterly pathetic. Nostalgia is an addiction, but football would generally have an empty void without the UEFA Champions League, even if the new format is rubbish.

-        Big clubs stay at the top

This is the most vital of issues. Football should not be a monopoly or have a power structure in terms of club size. Meritocracy is necessary. It is the reason we watch. The idea that Barcelona could be relegated from La Liga is so exciting. The new format promises inequality and safety for the big names. Union Berlin had one great season and faced Real Madrid in the Champions League. That is beautiful.

In that sense, the league cannot be taken seriously until complete equality and sporting merit is considered. At the moment, whatever is proposed cannot mask that.

European football is unquestionably reaching a crossroads moment. UEFA have to harness the strength of fans and clubs to maintain authority, or the legitimisation of the Super League could become an actualisation in a game which is on the tenterhooks of irreversible damage.