ESL – the not-so Super League

The EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE is a concept involving the formation of a breakaway competition with 15 of Europe’s leading clubs which include the ‘Big Six’ of the Premier League – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham along with the top 3 clubs from Italy and Spain. The league is headed by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez as its chairman, with Joel Glazer of Manchester United and Andrea Agnelli of Juventus acting as vice-chairmen. 

Even though the concept of the richest clubs in Europe battling it out in a separate league has been around for decades, it has never come to fruition due to the obvious negative impact it will have on competitive football. The ESL was planned as a rival to the UEFA Champions League, which is the pinnacle of competitive football in Europe. It would involve 20 teams – 15 founding members and 5 teams that would qualify based on their performance in their domestic leagues.

Criticism:
The formation of this league has received immense opposition from UEFA, FIFA, and other organizations in European football, UEFA administration also said that any club participating in the ESL will immediately be disqualified from the Champions League and their respective domestic leagues. A lot of indications tells us that the whole ESL is made to make more money during the pandemic, as Florentino Perez said, “When you don’t have any income other than from television, you have to find a solution to make more attractive matches that fans all over the world can watch with all of the big clubs.” While such a league will definitely increase the revenue generated and might even cover up for the losses incurred due to the pandemic.
The fans have had an enormous influence in the world of sports for decades. The announcement of this league has led to severe backlash from fans and critics alike, causing aficionados, Many fans believe that their clubs are running behind money and such a league will basically lead to the concentration of power in the hands of the rich owners and clubs of European football. While the idea of Europe’s best battling it out certainly seems attractive, we need to realize what it means for European football as a whole. No more underdog narratives, no more suspense, just exhibition match after exhibition match for money. 

The Aftermath:
After seeing the reaction of the fans all over the world, the ‘big six’ immediately took to their social media handles and announced that they would be withdrawing from the Super League. Manchester City led the fray, followed closely by the other clubs. While Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona are still part of the super league, the plan has appeared to come to a standstill, giving fans all over the world a chance to celebrate the rejuvenation of football as an integrated and objective sport. 

– Anamay Mittal