16 December 2023 , 13:38
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A new proposal to establish a European Super League faces D-day in court this week.
Fifteen judges at the European Court of Justice are set to rule on an attempt to smash UEFA’s jurisdiction over the European game on Thursday - and this time the plan is to ask up to EIGHTY of the continent’s top clubs to join the revolution.
It is the nightmare before Christmas for the Premier League, La Liga and all of Europe’s top domestic competitions. The initial bid to formulate a 20-club Super League that would be played outside of UEFA’s control collapsed in April 2021 when Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham withdrew their support for the project after an outpouring of public outrage.
But a revamped idea is being led by sports development company A22 Sports - and they will be given the free light to press ahead with their plans if the European court in Brussels ends UEFA’s current hegemony.
A22 want to take away UEFA’s authority to punish clubs for competing in rival tournaments - and if the judgement goes their way it is likely to be remembered as a watershed moment for the game.
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The ESL would usurp the Champions League and be played alongside domestic league competitions. It would generate television revenues that would dwarf the Premier League's latest £6.7billion deal.
Bernd Reichart, the German who is leading A22’s challenge to UEFA, said: “Hopefully the judges will seize the opportunity to recast European sport. We want to end monopolies like UEFA, which is a private association with accumulated power of regulator, judge, jury and executioner!
“It (UEFA) leads to conflicts of interest and abuse of power. They govern the sport but do not bear responsibility within Europe.”
England’s six ‘rogue’ clubs agreed to make a goodwill payment of £22million to the Premier League when their role in the ESL idea was revealed.
Fourteen-time European champions Real Madrid took a case to the Spanish courts when UEFA threatened them with expulsion from their competitions if they continued to pursue their Super League dream. Their stance was upheld in Spain - but the matter is now set to be judged by the European court.