European Super League: ECA opposes 12-team breakaway competition

The European Club Association (ECA) has joined UEFA in condemning proposals for a new European Super League.

Widespread reports emerged on Sunday of an agreement in place between 12 European clubs to form a breakaway competition.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter, Milan, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal are the clubs involved, although confirmation is still pending.

Reigning European champions Bayern Munich, along with last season’s Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain, were not included.

UEFA, Europe’s top leagues and football associations confirmed their opposition to the proposal, which drew a mass of criticism from pundits and fans alike.

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— ECA (@ECAEurope) April 18, 2021

With UEFA set to announce changes to the format of the Champions League from 2024 onwards on Monday, the ECA reiterated its commitment to those proposed alterations, and insisted it would stand against a Super League.

An emergency meeting of the ECA was held on Sunday. According to reports, none of the 12 teams making up the proposed breakaway competition responded to invitations to attend, though PSG and Bayern were represented. 

“In light of today’s reports on the subject of a so-called breakaway league, the ECA as the body representing 246 leading clubs across Europe, reiterates its stated commitment to working on developing the UEFA Club Competitions (UCCs) model with UEFA for the cycle beginning 2024 and that a ‘closed super league model’ to which media articles refer would be strongly opposed by the ECA,” a statement read.

The ECA statement went on to outline the body’s intention to “work with UEFA on a renewed structure for European Club Football as a whole post 2024”, before concluding that “the ECA Executive Board will be convening over the coming days to take appropriate decisions in light of any further developments”.