.jpg "WHAT IS EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE? Formed by some of Europe's leading football clubs, the European Super League (ESL) is a breakaway tournament that is not managed or ruled by the UEFA.")
WHAT IS EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE? Formed by some of Europe's leading football clubs, the European Super League (ESL) is a breakaway tournament that is not managed or ruled by the UEFA.
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WHICH ARE THE TEAMS INVOLVED? Twelve of Europe's most powerful clubs are behind the rebellious move to create a breakaway league. The 'founding members', as they call themselves are AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus from Italy, Barcelona Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid from Spain along with the English giants Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham.
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.jpg "WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE A FOUNDING MEMBER? Crucially, the 15 initial members would be guaranteed qualification every season. Three more founding clubs would be announced soon, the ESL said in a statement.")
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE A FOUNDING MEMBER? Crucially, the 15 initial members would be guaranteed qualification every season. Three more founding clubs would be announced soon, the ESL said in a statement.
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.jpg "HOW WILL ESL WORK? The ESL will be a 'midweek competition' so that the clubs involved will have no issues participating in their respective national leagues. Clubs would be split into two groups of ten, playing each other home and away. The top three in each group would qualify for the quarter-finals and the teams in fourth and fifth would play a two-legged play-off for the two remaining spots. Then the competition would adopt the same two-leg knockout format used in the Champions League before a single-leg final in May.")
HOW WILL ESL WORK? The ESL will be a 'midweek competition' so that the clubs involved will have no issues participating in their respective national leagues. Clubs would be split into two groups of ten, playing each other home and away. The top three in each group would qualify for the quarter-finals and the teams in fourth and fifth would play a two-legged play-off for the two remaining spots. Then the competition would adopt the same two-leg knockout format used in the Champions League before a single-leg final in May.
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.jpg "WHO ALL ARE MISSING? French and German clubs, including reigning European champions Bayern Munich and last season's beaten finalists PSG, were not among the initial ESL clubs.")
WHO ALL ARE MISSING? French and German clubs, including reigning European champions Bayern Munich and last season's beaten finalists PSG, were not among the initial ESL clubs.
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.jpg "WHEN WILL ESL START? The inaugural season of the ESL 'is intended to commence as soon as practicable'.")
WHEN WILL ESL START? The inaugural season of the ESL 'is intended to commence as soon as practicable'.
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.jpg "WHERE WILL THE FINAL HAPPEN? The old-styled single-leg final will happen at the end of May at a neutral venue.")
WHERE WILL THE FINAL HAPPEN? The old-styled single-leg final will happen at the end of May at a neutral venue.
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.jpg "HOW MUCH MONEY IS INVOLVED? For signing up, 'Founding Clubs will receive an amount of 3.5 billion euros solely to support their infrastructure investment plans and to offset the impact of the COVID pandemic,' the statement said. The organisers promise the participants would receive 'solidarity payments' that would be 'substantially higher than those generated by the current European competition'.")
HOW MUCH MONEY IS INVOLVED? For signing up, 'Founding Clubs will receive an amount of 3.5 billion euros solely to support their infrastructure investment plans and to offset the impact of the COVID pandemic,' the statement said. The organisers promise the participants would receive 'solidarity payments' that would be 'substantially higher than those generated by the current European competition'.
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.jpg "WHY THE ANNOUNCEMENT NOW? The ESL announcement was timed to pre-empt UEFA's own scheduled unveiling of reforms to the Champions League on Monday, with an expansion to 36 teams from 32 and two 'wildcard' slots expected to be among the plans. There would be a minimum of 10 games for each team.")
WHY THE ANNOUNCEMENT NOW? The ESL announcement was timed to pre-empt UEFA's own scheduled unveiling of reforms to the Champions League on Monday, with an expansion to 36 teams from 32 and two 'wildcard' slots expected to be among the plans. There would be a minimum of 10 games for each team.
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.jpg "HAS UEFA REACTED? Yes. UEFA has said that any player and club who participates in the proposed Super League will be banned from UEFA and FIFA football tournaments. The body has made it clear that it will consider all measures available -- judicial and sporting -- to prevent ESL from happening.")
HAS UEFA REACTED? Yes. UEFA has said that any player and club who participates in the proposed Super League will be banned from UEFA and FIFA football tournaments. The body has made it clear that it will consider all measures available -- judicial and sporting -- to prevent ESL from happening.
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.jpg "WHAT IS FIFA'S POSITION? Global footballing body FIFA has sided with UEFA in the anti-ESL camp. 'If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we - UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations - will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever,' a joint statement read.")
WHAT IS FIFA'S POSITION? Global footballing body FIFA has sided with UEFA in the anti-ESL camp. 'If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we - UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations - will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever,' a joint statement read.
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