Five of the Premier League's big six have given the green light to a new European Super League, in a direct threat to UEFA's plans to revamp the Champions League.
European football's governing body are soon expected to announce dramatic changes to their top competition, with a new 36-team format set to come into play from 2024.
There has been some opposition among top clubs to that restructuring but UEFA had been able to win the support of the European Clubs Association and the European Leagues, and an announcement could come on Monday.
Now, though, it is being reported by The Times and others that five of the Premier League's biggest clubs have signed on for a separate competition that would take UEFA out of the equation.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are among 11 major European clubs who favour a European Super League to a reformatted Champions League. Man City haven't committed yet, but aren't expected to resist if plans go ahead.
Interestingly, reports claim there would be no clubs from France or Germany, with only representatives from Spain and Italy joining the English contingent.
?? Les 12 clubs qui ont donné leur accord pour la SuperLeague Européenne et qui devraient l’officialiser :
— Mohamed Bouhafsi (@mohamedbouhafsi) April 18, 2021
Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea,Tottenham, FC Barcelone, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan et la Juventus ! #RMCsport
ECA and Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli is heavily involved in talks which are being led by Manchester United and Real Madrid, and it has left UEFA under severe pressure to appease its biggest clubs - or risk losing them to a rival competition.
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.
The idea is to get Europe's biggest teams playing against each other on a regular basis and would likely attract unprecedented levels of broadcasting interest. In other words, it's a gold mine for the clubs involved.
FIFA and UEFA are determined to halt the plans, and have previously warned that players who take part would be banned from the World Cup and the Euros - so it could be a while yet before we get any sort of resolution. Lucky us!
Source : 90min