It’s been over a year since the formation and eventual collapse of the proposed European Super League project that shocked football in April 2021. However, the actual entity is far from gone, as the remaining foundations of the project continue to fight a legal battle against UEFA that could transform the landscape of football.
The company behind it European Super League – A22 Sports Management – have the support of three founding members in Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. It could still be a tricky task to get everyone on board though, with new Chief Executive Bernd Reichart appointed to try and turn things around.
He told CBS Sports: “Phase one of my responsibility is to initiate and conduct dialogue. We want to reach out to stakeholders of the European football family and discuss with them openly, honestly, and without the threat of sanctions the underlying problems European football is facing.”
The opposition to the original idea came from the fact that it represented a breakaway league that would only see teams compete on a selection basis rather than qualifying through sporting merit. Fan protests around England saw the Premier League clubs put under pressure, toppling the first dominoes in an unravelling saga at the time.
With the talk of a return dependent on the court ruling regarding UEFA and competition law, clubs could face a decision once again over whether they would take part. However, according to a report from CBS, the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool collectively oppose the option to join the competition even in the case that they secure the legal right to host it.
It remains to be seen whether a change in format or ruling from the original could impact things, however, the rejection from the big six English clubs could prove a huge turning point in the validity of the project moving forwards.
