By Matthew Rowe

On the evening of April 18, Europe was in chaos as their beloved football (soccer) culture was potentially set to undergo drastic changes due to the formation of the new European Super League, or ESL. Fans were in uproar as they witnessed the potential end to the game as they knew it. 

European football currently works in a domestic league format, with a league for each major country and multiple minor leagues under the main ones. Each league has 20 competing clubs who usually play each other twice over the course of the season. England, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy are the five nations with the most popular leagues. 

Old Trafford, Manchester United’s Stadium. Photo credit: Ministry of Sport.

England’s Premier League is well known in the United States. The Premier League’s most popular clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspurs, and Manchester City, are often referred to as the Premier League big six. These six teams, along with six top clubs from LaLiga and Serie A, the Spanish and Italian leagues, respectively, formed the proposed Super League. 

Currently, there is one inter-domestic league in place run by UEFA, the continental governing body for the sport known as the Union of European Football Associations. The UEFA Champions League is an annual competition composed of the top-division clubs who fight for the title of the best team in Europe through a group and knockout format over the course of the season. Clubs must qualify each year for the group stage by placing well in their respective league tables. Generally, domestic league games are played on weekends, and Champions League matches are played midweek every other week or so. 

The UEFA European Super League would completely alter the Champions League format. The Super League would be composed of 20 teams, with the same 15 highly popular clubs competing yearly and the remaining five teams qualifying annually. 

Leicester City winning the Premier League in 2016. Photo credit: Peter Woodentop via Wikimedia Commons.

With the changes to the UEFA format, less popular clubs would not have the opportunity to make underdog runs in the European competition, since there would be only five available spots for qualifying teams. There would never be another Leicester City in 2016 or Ajax and their semifinal run in 2019. Furthermore, the 15 founding teams of the competition would not be punished with relegation or elimination from the competition if they hit a stroke of poor form and start losing successive games.

The move was greatly criticized by much of the football community instantaneously. According to the BBC, “critics say the move is being driven purely by money, would destroy domestic leagues and is against the integrity of the sport.” The potential league was planned by the owners and higher-ups at the possible clubs, with little to no input from coaches and players within the teams. The big club owners serve to make immense financial profits while hurting smaller clubs. 

The “Founding Clubs,” as they call themselves, stated that they want to have more games between the most popular clubs to make the game more exciting for viewers to watch. According to the Super League Press Release, “for a number of years, the Founding Clubs have had the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis.”

One might think that fans would support seeing the top teams compete more often; however, that was not the case. It was reported the day after the ESL’s announcement that 79% of fans in the UK opposed the competition. 

Gary Neville in 2006. Photo credit: Austin Osuide via Wikimedia Commons.

Former Manchester United player and club legend Gary Neville said on the night of the ESL announcement, “I’m a Manchester United fan and have been for 40 years of my life, but I’m disgusted, absolutely disgusted. I’m disgusted with Manchester United and Liverpool the most.” Neville, as well as other prominent players and former players, condemned the competition.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Ander Herrera stated, “I believe in an improved Champions League, but not in the rich stealing what the people created, which is nothing other than the most beautiful sport on the planet.” 

Due to immense backlash from players, coaches, and fans, within days of the announcement, the ESL disbanded, as the major clubs withdrew from the competition. The Champions League will more than likely remain as the sole European interleague competition for at least the 2021-2022 season. Although the Super League idea was rejected, there will no doubt be some type of change or amendment to the current Champions League format.

Collegiate senior James Ballenger (‘21), who knows European soccer well from his years spent living in England, stated, “The prospect of there being a Super League was intriguing from a fan’s perspective at first, and the sudden disbandment of the league is disappointing. However, the old format is probably better to keep.”

Featured image credit: Roar News.