European Super League new proposal calls for 60-80 teams

European Super League officials have been working on ways to tweak their setup for months now with a new proposal. News surfaced back in October that the league, with help from A22 Sports Management chief executive Bernd Reichart, had plans to attempt a relaunch by 2024. Now Reichart has revealed a new scheme on Thursday that could involve 60-80 clubs.

The ESL official supposedly contacted and spoke with around 50 clubs across the continent to get input on the possible reformation. “The vast majority of [the clubs] share the assessment that the very foundation of European football is under threat, and it is time for change,” Reichart said in a statement.

Reichart claims clubs want change

“Feedback suggests a European football league that is open, based solely on sporting merit, multidivisional with 60-80 clubs and a minimum of 14 guaranteed European matches per club.”

These proposed changes would see 20 clubs form three or four separate leagues across Europe. Original plans for the ESL included a 20-team league with about 15 of these clubs being permanent members. This proposal was rejected emphatically by the masses in the Spring of 2021. Nevertheless, Reichart is still suggesting that there has to be change in European soccer.

“Our objective is to present a sustainable sporting project for European club competitions available to, at a minimum, all 27 EU Member States as soon as possible after receipt of the judgment,” continued Reichart.

“The issues are clear, and action must be taken for the benefit of fans, players, and clubs.”

Spanish league denounces new European Super League proposal

LaLiga president Javier Tebas, quite predictably, wasn’t moved by Reichart’s comments. “The Super League is the wolf, who today disguises himself as a granny to try to fool European football, but his nose and his teeth are very big,” Tebas wrote on Twitter.

The league president also said that the new ESL plans solely benefit the biggest clubs. “Four divisions in Europe? Of course the first for them, as in the 2019 reform. Government of the clubs? Of course only the big ones.”

FIFA/UEFA have recently been in a court battle with ESL organizers. However, the European court ruled that the two governing bodies of the sport can’t sanction ESL members. The decision was a significant win for A22 and the ESL. Nevertheless, fans are still overwhelmingly against any formation of the breakaway league.

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