In a league out on its own

LONDON • The 12 clubs behind the breakaway European Super League yesterday called on Uefa and Fifa to open talks with them on their new competition amid threats by both governing bodies to ban participating clubs and players from domestic and international football.

In a letter to Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, and seen by Reuters, the European Super League intend to solve any dispute amicably but will protect its interests legally if need be.

"We invite you to attend on an urgent basis discussion with us regarding the details of the competition and how it can best be accommodated within the football ecosystem," it said.

On any "unlawful" attempts to stop their venture launching, it added it had been "compelled to take protective steps to secure ourselves against such an adverse reaction", with a motion filed before the relevant courts.

The group comprising the world's richest football clubs yesterday announced plans for a European breakaway league starting as early as August, a project that will be financed by JP Morgan and could herald the sport's biggest shake-up in decades, making elite teams even wealthier.

Juventus, Manchester United, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will stick with their domestic leagues, but intend to pull out of the Champions League, and play one another midweek as an alternative.

Three more teams are expected to join and in addition to what will be 15 permanent teams, another five will qualify each year for the so-called Super League.

Portuguese champions Porto have distanced themselves from the proposal, although admitting there was an approach.

There are also no German clubs - the 50+1 rule essentially enshrines majority member or fan ownership of Bundesliga teams - or French sides yet although "at least two French clubs" are set to be involved every year, a source told Agence France-Presse.

Establishing an elite tournament in Europe would effectively end the Champions League's decades-long reign as the world's premier club contest, and revolutionise the sport's structure. It would create a "closed model" unlike the European pyramid model of relegation and promotion.

It would also funnel billions of dollars into the game's upper echelons, following a pandemic-hit year in which revenues have dropped as matches take place in largely empty stadiums.

The 15 founding teams would split an upfront payment of €3.5 billion (S$5.6 billion). That sum represents a greater revenue than currently generated by Uefa for all of its club competitions - Champions League, Europa League and European Super Cup - which generated €3.2 billion in TV revenue in 2018-19. Solidarity payments are "expected to be over €10 billion" as the super league grows, but the plan has sparked outrage from football authorities, the sport's governing bodies, domestic leagues, politicians, fans, the media and pundits.

They believe it amounts to a cash grab, is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs and violates the covenant of fair and open competition. Should there be a split, the money that Uefa generates via its competitions will be diverted to the Super League. Not only will it decimate the Champions League, but it will also negatively impact domestic competitions across their divisions.

The fight to make the Champions League is primarily driven by the financial rewards at stake, but if that aspect is greatly reduced, clubs outside of the chosen 15 will not have much to play for, especially if they are not in the title mix.

As such, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the strongest statement yesterday, insisting he would do everything possible to ensure that the proposed breakaway does not go ahead.

"We're going to look at everything we can do with football authorities to make sure this doesn't go ahead in the way that it's currently being proposed," he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron echoed those thoughts while players, past and present, hit out at the idea.

Ander Herrera - whose club Paris Saint-Germain is not part of the project - tweeted: "I believe in an improved Champions League, but not in the rich stealing what the people created, which is nothing other than the most beautiful sport on the planet."

Borussia Dortmund said that they were committed to the European Club Association (ECA) along with fellow German side Bayern Munich, backing the reformation of the Champions League. But it appears the plan is serious, with Juventus, United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs reportedly quitting the ECA following the announcement.

Sports competition lawyer Mark Orth of MEOlaw told the Daily Mail European Super League clubs have a good chance of winning any legal battle if football's governing bodies attempt to block plans as there is precedence in Europe.

The European Commission and Europe's second highest court, the General Court in Luxembourg, in December ruled the International Skating Union cannot stop speed skaters from participating in new money-spinning events.

And Real president Florentino Perez, who is set to become the first chairman of the Super League, is convinced the trickle-down economics "will help football at every level to occupy the place that corresponds to it in the world".

Spain's Sports Minister Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes yesterday admitted that Spanish football may have to accommodate the new league. He said that any changes must benefit the league, the national squad and clubs.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG, REUTERS, XINHUA