And so it has come to pass.
In an unprecedented moment for European football, 12 top clubs from across the continent – including the Premier League‘s big six – have announced the formation of a new midweek competition to rival UEFA’s Champions League.
Milan, Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined as so-called founding clubs, with Los Blancos president Florentino Perez, Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli and Man Utd co-chairman Joel Glazer evidently big players in the shake-up.
The Super League announced pic.twitter.com/nAooYowBZ3
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) April 18, 2021
Three more clubs are expected to join The Super League, which will start ‘as soon as practicable’.
The announcement and earlier revelations about the potential proposals have sent shockwaves through the football world and been met with profound outrage on social media, with many pointing to the greed of football clubs in the modern era to the detriment of fans.
Furious to be honest with you. Such a brazen attempt to shield yourself from consequence, but then to portray yourself as some sort of patron of the game at the same time? It is rare too witness such brass necked cowardice.
— Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) April 18, 2021
12 clubs taking it upon themselves to completely redesign football as we know it and announcing it with zero consultation of fans, taking advantage of a global pandemic where we can’t even be in stadiums to voice our opposition.
Cynical, arrogant, cowardly self-interest. https://t.co/pgu7Dz04Qf
— George Starkey-Midha (@GStarkeyMidha) April 18, 2021
Amazing… @ManUtd too scared of their own fans’ reaction to even tweet the announcement
— Alex Wickham (@alexwickham) April 18, 2021
You really know something is wrong when fans of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Tottenham all agree on something and hate the super league! #NoToSuperLeague
— CarefreeYouth (@CarefreeYouth) April 18, 2021
This #ESL is shameless, ensuring these greedy Founding Clubs never miss out. This is a sham of a sporting competition and should be resisted by all who care about football. Fans will fight this. Players must fight this. Sponsors should be embarrassed to be associated with this. pic.twitter.com/WrL85BtfED
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) April 18, 2021
Others unsurprisingly focused on the fact that north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham probably shouldn’t be considered among Europe’s top clubs at present…
Haven’t qualified for the Champions League since 2016-2017 ? https://t.co/cFfnwOCJsD
— Sacha Pisani (@Sachk0) April 18, 2021
Everton 2-2 Spurs
Arsenal 1-1 Fulham
Atalanta 1-0 Juventus“Time to make a Super League lads.”
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) April 18, 2021
Gary Neville: “Manchester United, Spurs and Arsenal are not even in the Champions League. Arsenal are a shambles of a club and they expect a gods given right to go into the European Super league? It’s disgusting. Deduct points. Deduct money. Punish them.”
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) April 18, 2021
Arsenal & Tottenham are going to be the Sheffield United & Burnley of the super league..
— Conn (@ConnCFC) April 18, 2021
Juventus are 4th in Serie A, Arsenal are closer to Crystal Palace than they are to securing top four, Tottenham are 7th and getting knocked out of Europe by a club whose manager is in prison…no wonder these clubs want to create their own Super League.
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) April 18, 2021
The ‘European Super League’ doesn’t have the two Champions League finalist from last season in it – the de facto two best teams in Europe.
Instead it has a mid-table Arsenal and a very terrible Tottenham team.
Great start fellas ? https://t.co/Rp6PeIhQFb
— Jack Gallagher (@calciolovesjack) April 18, 2021
Nothing about The Super League was safe from serious scrutiny, will some tweeters pointing out that the competition’s logo is a bit…naff.
Absolutely tinpot pic.twitter.com/UlD8NhzYN6
— Hunter Godson (@HunterGodson) April 18, 2021
The Super League logo pic.twitter.com/eVzD99KD3Z
— Jimmy (@EntireDesign_) April 18, 2021
There’s heaps absolutely wrong and disgusting about the Super League.
But imagine promising “a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities” while *THIS* is the best you could do with your branding ? pic.twitter.com/Gl4kweD2oZ
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) April 18, 2021
An official statement even had the audacity to go into the financial benefits of the newly-founded competition, saying the Super League ‘will provide significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments which will grow in line with league revenues’.
I just vomited into my mouth ? pic.twitter.com/Au8yF98DSp
— Suzy Wrack (@SuzyWrack) April 18, 2021
The new league would comprise 20 teams: 15 founding members who cannot be relegated, and five teams who qualify annually. It wouldn’t replace the Premier League or other domestic competitions, however – it would run alongside, similarly to how the Champions League currently works.
A statement revealed the competition would start in August, with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter finals.
Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.
