Top European clubs again planning Super League breakaway - report

[rooster59]

Top European clubs again planning Super League breakaway - report

By Simon Evans

 

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League Group Stage Draw - Grimaldi Forum, Monaco - August 30, 2018 Real Madrid president Florentino Perez before the draw REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Plans for a breakaway European Super League, involving top clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester United, are back on the agenda, German magazine Der Spiegel and European Investigative Collaborations, a network of international media, reported on Friday citing leaked documents.

 

The magazine reported that talks between some of Europe's leading clubs on a breakaway league were at an advanced stage before a compromise deal in 2016 with the continent's governing soccer body UEFA over its elite Champions League competition.

 

But Spiegel said a fresh plan had recently been drafted by Spanish company Key Capital Partners for Real Madrid which foresees 11 top European clubs creating a Super League in 2021 when the agreement on the Champions League format and revenue sharing ends.

 

Key Capital Partners did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while European champions Real Madrid declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

 

The 11 'founders' could not be relegated from the Super League, which would have five 'guest teams' to make up a 16-team competition, replacing the current 32-team Champions League, the report stated.

 

The Spiegel report said that on Oct. 22, Madrid-based Key Capital Partners sent an email to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez including a document entitled 'Draft of an Agreement of the Sixteen' which included a 13-page 'binding term sheet' for the 11 clubs listed as "founders" .

 

The founding clubs – who would not face relegation for 20 years – are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Liverpool, AC Milan and Bayern Munich, the report said.

 

The five “initial guests,” according to the document, are Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Olympique de Marseille, Inter Milan and AS Roma.

 

The document stated that the teams should sign up to the 'term sheet' in November, 2018. It was not clear how many, if any, clubs had signed up. UEFA is not mentioned in the draft.

 

Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Atletico, as well as Real Madrid, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Barca, Juve, Manchester City, PSG, Arsenal, Milan, Inter Milan, Roma and Marseille were not immediately available to comment.

 

BAYERN UNAWARE

 

Bayern Munich released a statement saying: "FC Bayern is... unaware of recent plans for a so-called Super League, also reported by "Der Spiegel", nor has FC Bayern taken part in negotiations relating to such plans.

 

"FC Bayern is also unaware of why it is listed in a document quoted in this context by "Der Spiegel".

 

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "FC Bayern Munich stands by its membership of the Bundesliga and, as long as I am chairman of the board of FC Bayern, also by the club competitions organised jointly by UEFA and the ECA."

 

The European Club Association, which represents more than 200 European clubs, said in a statement to Reuters: "ECA is completely unaware of any discussions by clubs to develop a break-away league. At present, ECA is working in close collaboration with UEFA on the next cycle and post-2024."

 

Spiegel said Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke declined to comment on the draft document but said the fact that discussions about the Super League were ongoing "is clear, and I also believe that a few of Europe's large clubs are clearly working on it."

 

Watzke added that such plans were apparently "not very concrete" yet and said Dortmund would not leave the Bundesliga for a new competition.

 

"That is the firewall," says Watzke. "For as long as I carry responsibility around here, BVB will not leave the Bundesliga."

But he told Spiegel the club would "keep all its options open" because if a Super League ever became a reality "that couldn't happen without BVB".

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-03

[Bredbury Blue]

Spurs fans should be worried.

[3 minus 2]

 

  IMO note imo  you cant have a successful  competitive footie lge  without some form of promotion or relegation or a competition without some form of  qualification , either or are vital and to think  not having either or wont change the respective' comp's  dynamics  for  the worse  is naive  

[Bredbury Blue]

This competition, where 11 teams are guaranteed to be in it, just doesn't sound right to me. And where would this leave those national leagues without their big teams.

[sanemax]

7 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

This competition, where 11 teams are guaranteed to be in it, just doesn't sound right to me. And where would this leave those national leagues without their big teams.

Maybe the Clubs will stay in their Countries leagues and also participate in a European league , replacing the Champions League ?

   If Clubs left their Countries leagues and joined just the European league , they would just be playing 30 games per season , instead of the current 40-50-60 games per season

[Bredbury Blue]

20 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Maybe the Clubs will stay in their Countries leagues and also participate in a European league , replacing the Champions League ?

   If Clubs left their Countries leagues and joined just the European league , they would just be playing 30 games per season , instead of the current 40-50-60 games per season

 

"The league would run for 34 weeks, with matches on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. There would be a knockout round at the end of the season."

 

[malagateddy]

Lets hope their financial bubble bursts BIG TIME..shower of greedy bast---s

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[LammyTS1]

Ridiculous idea, all for monetary purposes. The champions league is boring already, without having the same 11 teams out of 16 competing every year, yawnfest!

[owl sees all]

This 'Euro super league' was first promoted about 30 years ago. I think Liverpool declined and the idea was sidelined.

 

I think the CL as it is OK. It's our English footy programme that needs dressing IMO.

[Bredbury Blue]

Champions league - is it a league, is it a cup?

 

Either,

Make it a smaller league for the teams that win their countries league,

or,

a knockout cup, with maybe higher league placed teams coming in at a later round like the FA Cup, which would be fair more exciting but generate less money for the establishment  teams.

[sanemax]

How did Liverpool football club manage to get in with the elite ?

They havent been part of the elite for the last 25 years

[Burma Bill]

Would be very expensive for home fans travelling to away matches e.g. Borussia Dortmund versus AS Roma or even Man U versus AS Roma.

[champers]

It is just sending a messsge to UEFA along the lines of:

" Keep your nose out of our business and put your Financial Fair Play where the sun don't shine, while you're at it"

[Bredbury Blue]

On 11/7/2018 at 1:22 PM, Burma Bill said:

Would be very expensive for home fans travelling to away matches e.g. Borussia Dortmund versus AS Roma or even Man U versus AS Roma.

It would be, but THEY wouldn't be bothered about that. Revenue from away fans is miniscule. Revenue from matchday receipts lags well behind tv and advertising  / sponsorship revenue.