Founding Clubs Unveil Plans For European Super League
Twelve of Europe’s top football clubs unveiled plans for a breakaway Super League on Sunday, which was launched to rival UEFA’s established Champions League competition which currently dominates European football.
The move has been heavily criticised by soccer authorities worldwide and UK prime minister Boris Johnson, as well as French president Emmanuel Macron.
Plans for a European Super League would be very damaging for football and we support football authorities in taking action.
They would strike at the heart of the domestic game, and will concern fans across the country. (1/2)
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 18, 2021
Six clubs from England’s Premier League – Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur feature among the founding members, along with Spain’s Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and Italy’s Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan, the organisation, called Super League, said in a statement.
We are one of 12 Founding Clubs of the European Super League
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 18, 2021
Leading European football clubs announce new Super League competition.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 18, 2021
❗️ Barça, a founding Club of the new Superleague
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 19, 2021
The league plans to launch “as soon as practicable” and the founding clubs will be given €3.5 billion “to support their infrastructure investment plans and to offset the impact of the Covid pandemic”, the statement said.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, the new founding chairman of the Super League also came out in support of the European Super League.
“We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world. Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires,” Perez said.
Official Announcement: Leading European football clubs unveil new Super League.#RealMadrid
— Real Madrid C.F.
