Last spring, news of the newly formed European Super League hit the press. Football fans responded with passion—whether in favor or against the proposed league. Most criticized the move, while others searched for a sportsbook promo to use for the first game in the ESL.
The simple idea seemed like a winner from a business point of view. In order to bring football fans even more action, 20 elite clubs from around Europe would band together to form a unique league. Teams from Arsenal to Real Madrid to Bayern Munich would be pitted against one another to ensure high-action games with the world’s top stars.
From a fan perspective, the proposed league looked like little more than a fancy new attempt to steer European domestic football. First, it would compromise the players involved by forcing them to travel more often and compete in difficult matches. Second, it would increase the gap of talent and funds that’s already been lengthening between top teams and second-tier hopefuls.
Lastly, it would cost a pretty penny for football fans who wanted access to watch live games. This would only further deepen the pockets of the already-lucrative clubs involved. Needless to say, fans stepped in to protest and boycott the executives at the clubs behind the move. Within weeks, the ESL was struck down as an elitist cash grab.
One year later, the idea isn’t totally vanquished. In fact, some are concerned about FIFA’s plans to mirror certain aspects of the Super League’s agenda.
The ESL Isn’t Dead
Within days of the ESL’s announcement, nine clubs withdrew officially from the league with the promise of maintaining a fan-centric approach to football (rather than a business-first approach). But not every club backed down so easily. Notably, Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid has stayed loyal to the idea.
Meanwhile, other executives behind the curtain of the Super League also stepped forward to defend the league. While they didn’t attempt to justify the proposed format, they stuck to the original idea while promising vital new changes.
The ESL released a statement saying, “…we shall reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project, always having in mind our goals of offering fans the best experience possible while enhancing solidarity payments for the entire football community.”
The notion that the ESL would disappear after its failed launch is false. For the most part, the ESL has stayed ‘out of sight and out of mind’ for football fans. But a handful of executives are still working behind the scenes to create meaningful changes to the ESL that won’t alienate fans (again).
A New ESL
Today, three clubs remain solidly behind the project: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Juventus. This is despite ample pushback that continues to brew for the ESL. Recently, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin compared ESL supporters to Flat Earth believers, while LaLiga president Javier Tebas also made his feelings quite clear on the matter.
Regardless of the comparisons, the ESL might have the upper hand legally. Last year, all three clubs submitted a case to the court that alleges UEFA can’t punish the clubs for attempting to form the league. The idea is that UEFA has an unfair monopoly on the continent’s football sector.
Recently, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli said he plans on sitting back and waiting for an official decision from the European Court of Justice. Meanwhile, ESL executives have been building new plans for a brand new rollout—and hoping for the green light from the Court of Justice.
So far, the ESL has rolled out five new changes, which were published last autumn. First, the ESL won’t include a roster of permanent members. Instead, there will be a 20-team top tier and a 20-team second tier that includes standard promotion and relegation rules.
Second, teams will qualify from their domestic league rankings, which will be standardized. Third, there will be a reduction in the number of games in order to remove fears around fixture congestion and promote the well-being of the players in the clubs involved.
Fourth, the ESL has restructured its financial plans. The league will now allocate funds for non-winning teams in order to mitigate the risk of lengthening gaps in wealth and talent between teams. Lastly, the ESL has promised financial support for fans so that they can attend away matches to support their team.
The Question of the FIFA Monopoly
So far, the ESL has seemed incredibly willing to restructure its weakest points in order to appeal to fans, players, and club staff. Regardless of whether the league eventually takes off, it’s presented football fans with an important argument surrounding FIFA’s control over the sport.
As the global governing body for football, FIFA has the power to penalize teams for their attempt to compete in UEFA competitions and the ESL. The idea is that UEFA helps regulate the sport to ensure fairness… but along the way, the organization has become a monopoly that bars other football leagues from forming internationally.
The idea comes down to regulation. Many industries are regulated by a central body that grants licenses and prevents practices like price gouging and the creation of a monopoly. However, these regulatory bodies don’t control how many companies are competing in a sector—they’re just making sure the companies abide by the law in their business practices.
The ESL argues that UEFA isn’t acting like a regulatory body, but a monopoly that has the sole hold on international association football. The ESL legally fulfilled its responsibilities in attaining all necessary licenses, but the degree of UEFA’s influence made it impossible for them to enter and compete in the same market.
But the legal waters are murky. As it stands now, there’s nothing preventing clubs from forming their own leagues. They would be banned from their domestic leagues and all FIFA competitions (the World Cup included), and then face massive licensing and registration challenges. Still, it’s technically legal.
However, the ESL will either need to be sanctioned by FIFA or find a way to support itself outside of the purview of the Association.