European Super League News

Real Madrid-backed company A22 Sports Management unveiled plans for the 'Unify League', a 96-team competition to replace the Champions League.

The video is mesmerising. Full of lively music, twinkling sounds and graphics that revolve as quickly as a fruit machine, UEFA pulled no punches to launch what they are calling 'the new beginning.'

OLIVER HOLT: City, of course, is a club that is already enjoying an unprecedented level of domination in the English game. And yet that is not enough for City's owners.

The new body will operate a licensing system covering all 116 men's clubs from the Premier League to the National League, with the power to demand real-time financial information from clubs.

A historic bill to bring in football's independent regulator will be introduced to Parliament on Tuesday - and EFL clubs believe they have already scored a victory.

CHRIS SUTTON: Who needs the European Super League? We've got the heavyweight clashes we want right here and it hardly gets bigger than Manchester City facing Real Madrid.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has launched a broadside against new European Super League proposals, describing them as more destructive than in 2021.

We are on the brink of ruin,' said the president of Madrid Florentino Perez in 2021 when he appeared on Spanish television to announce a new European Super League . 'By 2024 we will be dead.'

Dutch giants Feyenoord have strenuously denied that they are set to join the European Super League after Joan Laporta named 15 clubs - including Feyenoord - that are ready to play in it.

It comes after A22 management co-founder Anas Laghrari recently claimed that 20 teams around Europe had already agreed to join the breakaway competition.

CHRIS WHEELER: Manchester United protest group The 1958 have expressed hope that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be 'an ally and vehicle' in driving the Glazer family out of Old Trafford.

A22 management co-founder Anas Laghrari - the company that promotes the European Super League (ESL) - has claimed 20 clubs have agreed to join the breakaway competition.

Last week, the court dealt a blow to FIFA and UEFA by declaring that their rules on prior approval of interclub competitions - such as the Super League - were 'contrary to EU law'.

Tottenham are among the Premier League clubs who have distanced themselves from the Super League's revival after the European Court of Justice gave its organisers the green light this week.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has claimed Serie A should be replaced with an elite league called 'Serie E' as he backed calls for significant changes within European football.

Liverpool have broken their silence and are the final Premier League 'Big Six' side to reject participation in the newly proposed version of the European Super League.

By the end of the day, it was apparent only the Spanish big two, Barcelona and Real Madrid, remained emphatically in favour of the Super League.

PETE JENSON: Despite the way Real Madrid and Barcelona trumpeted the court ruling on Thursday, the two behemoths of Spanish football remain isolated in wanting a Super League, even in Spain.

They join fellow Premier League clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea in publicly distancing themselves from the revived project.

Manchester United immediately rejected the proposals, as did Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. Man City, Chelsea and Tottenham later reiterated their loyalty to Uefa competitions.

It found that FIFA and UEFA acted against competition law by blocking the creation of the Super League in 2021 after participating clubs were threatened with sanctions for competing.

COMMENT BY IAN HERBERT: For a measure of the state of desperation that Spanish football's two fallen giants find themselves in, consider how Barca's players spent Wednesday evening.

The government were quick to point out that, as part of the creation of a new independent regulator, forthcoming legislation 'will stop clubs from joining any similar breakaway competitions'.

Andrea Agnelli was one of the lead architects of the breakaway competition when he was president of Juventus, and now he has reacted after organisers received a boost via a court ruling.

The fresh format, which was unveiled by A22 CEO Bernd Reichart, was immediately rejected by clubs including Manchester United , Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.

The new format - which was revealed by A22 CEO Bernd Reichart in a presentation - was immediately rejected by clubs including Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

Fans have wasted no time pulling apart the new plan for the European Super League , following Thursday's court ruling which paved the way its return.

CHRIS WHEELER: Manchester United have turned their back on a revised European Super League by pledging allegiance to UEFA and the Premier League.

Barcelona and Real Madrid would both net a loyalty bonus of as much as €1billion (£870m) should the Super League project ultimately emerge, according to reports in Spain.

A22 have come forward with a new European Super League proposal following the decision by the European Court of Justice.

The European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA and FIFA were found to have acted against competition law in their blocking of the creation of a European Super League in 2021.

Plans to launch a new European competition were met with almost universal criticism from supporters and stakeholders for its 'closed' nature.

The ruling marked the latest stage in a legal process initiated by the European Super League Company after clubs who participated in the breakaway plans were threatened with sanctions.

The 60-year-old replaced Mauricio Pochetttino at the north London club back in 2019, taking charge of 86 games before he parted ways with the club in 2021.

IAN HERBERT: The fundamental scandal resides in the fact that Everton have cooperated with the Premier League - virtually to the point of prostrating themselves - in the past two years.

Florentino Perez has insisted the European Super League is 'more necessary than ever' as the Real Madrid president launched a scathing attack on UEFA and La Liga chiefs.

OLIVER HOLT: Bill Kenwright was my mum's friend long before he became mine. They worked together in Coronation Street in the late 1960s when my mum was already on the show.

IAN HERBERT: Unfortunately, his assertion that Liverpool's match at Tottenham should be replayed because Luis Diaz was denied a goal does not enhance his reputation as a sage.

OLIVER HOLT: In the last few weeks, England's top-flight clubs have flown across the globe on their lucrative summer tours again, working their markets in the Far East, Australia and the USA.

Juventus have signalled their intention to leave the European Super League project - more than two years after it failed to get off the marks.

Southampton, Leeds and Leicester were relegated, with Everton surviving by the skin of their teeth on the final day. While Man City won the title (again) after hauling back long-time leaders Arsenal.

Former Manchester United chief Ed Woodward has taken his first job since departing the club 15 months ago. The 51-year-old spent 16 years at Old Trafford and was executive vice-chairman for 11 years.

ROB DRAPER: It is difficult to convey the animosity unleashed by Barcelona President Joan Laporta on Monday when he accused Real Madrid of being the 'club of the regime' in the media.

EXCLUSIVE - STEPHEN McGOWAN: Revamped plans for a European Super League would see Celtic and Rangers eclipse the huge sums currently on offer for competing in the UEFA Champions League.

STEPHEN MCGOWAN: Plans for a European Super League in 2021 collapsed inside 48 hours after a global outcry by politicians, pundits and fans. However, new proposals are back.

The Premier League could be heading to a new broadcasting service in 2025. A tech giant is lining up a huge bid for the streaming rights to a range of football matches.

MIKE KEEGAN: Representatives of the Qatar-based group and that of Sir Jim Ratcliffe had both claimed that their offers had gone in before the 9pm cut-off. But confusion reigned.

PETE JENSON: The Spanish League president Javier Tebas said in London last week that as things stand the club would not be able to sign players this summer.

Almost two years ago European football was rocked to its core when 12 major clubs from England, Italy and Spain announced their intentions to join the breakaway Super League tournament.

Chelsea have announced the creation of a fan advisory board which will 'engage in discussion, exchange information and share insights' on potential decisions impacting supporters.

There are some concerns amongst those at the Premier League that the Government's 'White Paper' could damage their position as the best league in the world.

Woodward was regarded as a divisive figure among fans after nine years running their business operations. He left in 2021 after the European Super League debacle.

The controversial competition reared its head again this week after organisers A22 unveiled its new format as it looks to compete with the Champions League.

Gone is the idea of a 12-team multi-billion powerhouse of a division - with no promotions or regeations - with an 80-team format sitting outside of domestic football now in the works.

Fans were quick to react following Thursday morning's announcement, with many worrying the determination to push through plans meant a Super League was destined to happen

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: In A22 Sports Management's manifesto plans are outlined for a four-division system that includes 80 teams with each side guaranteed 14 games.

It comes as three of the original rebels - Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus - continue their fight with European football's governing body.

An injunction was filed in a Madrid court at the time the hugely controversial league was founded in April 2021 on behalf of the clubs, preventing UEFA or FIFA taking any action against them or players.

Outgoing Juventus Chairman Andrea Agnelli has urged European football to push for change, with the Italian fearful of the Premier League prising away all of Europe's stars.

AHEAD OF THE GAME: The tech giant are looking to increase their live football coverage with a 10-year contract to broadcast Major League Soccer beginning next month.

Real Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona have continued to push for a breakaway competition and Joan Laporta has now claimed it will 'be a reality' in two years and can compete with the Premier League.

Juve's entire board resigned in November amid the charges, with the public prosecutor's office launching a probe into the club over player value inflation and wage irregularities.

CHRIS WHEELER: The owners were criticised for taking an £11million dividend out of the club in June, but the board of directors did not approve the latest semi-annual payment to shareholders.

EXCLUSIVE: The move to make peace with Juventus by the ECA follows the resignation of Andrea Agnelli amidst fraud allegations and represents an attempt to split them from the remaining rebels.

A22 Sports has been recruited with Barcelona and Real Madrid still keen for a breakaway league - but Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also chairman of the European Club Association (ECA) - is not worried.

JOE BERNSTEIN: The mass resignation of the Juventus board signified another major blow to those who are still pressing for the failed European Super League project.

MATT HUGHES: The former JP Morgan banker is available to work on the deal after standing down from the United board in February, more than nine months after resigning.

Who next? On a day when Liverpool insisted it was business as usual, there was only one question being asked by supporters - and it had nothing to do with the start of their Carabao Cup defence.

A22 Sports' new CEO Bernd Reichart said after the summit that they had 'agreed to disagree on a lot of topics' but insisted they would 'continue to engage with stakeholders.'

After Fenway Sports Group went public to put Liverpool on sale, Sportsmail looks to answer all of the key questions surrounding Monday's announcement and what could follow as a result.

The Boston-based owner - who also owns the Red Sox - is looking to sell their majority stake after 12 years at Anfield, and is reportedly looking to make a sale for around $4.58bn (£4bn).

Spanish giants Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona were among the original group of 12 European clubs who sought to break away from domestic competition in 2021.

Jake Cottee, 21, from Kent, Matthew Smethurst, 30, from Oldham, and Keenan Kavanagh, 20, from Salford, all pleaded guilty to violent disorder ahead of sentencing today.

There will be many smug faces around European football at the fact that Juventus, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have all been dumped out of this season's Champions League.

A new European Super League with no permanent membership could be up and running by the 2024-25 season, the chief executive of the company behind the failed project has revealed.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY MATT HUGHES: In the two-and-a-half years since EFL chairman Rick Parry has not been afraid to speak his mind on a range of topics in the English game.

The 75-year-old Madrid owner was the chairman for the proposed European Super League back in 2021 which, due to backlash from fans all over Europe, was scrapped.

Prime Minister Liz Truss told Conservative councillors and members that she was 'completely in favour of the recommendations of fan-led review' calling for an independent regulator.

The Red Devils winger scored the opener as Erik ten Hag's side eased past Sheriff Tiraspol 2-0 in the Europa League in Moldova, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the second from the spot.