The losses accumulated in the last two seasons, the increasing amount of debts and the pursuit of ways to exploit the large fan bases are the main reasons behind the decision of the top 12 European clubs to launch the Super League. Its significant and immediate economic benefits ultimately enticed the teams more than the new Champions League format, Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
Only Chelsea closed the last balance sheets with a decent profit, while Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid narrowly avoided being in the red for 2019-2020. Tottenham, Milan, Manchester City and United, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, and Arsenal combined for €750M losses. Moreover, the 12 sides have over €5.7B in debts, with the Spurs and the Blaugrana being those most exposed. They will receive €3.5B right away for agreeing to join the cup, with an average bonus of €230M.
Furthermore, the Super League has been deemed the best way to increase the revenues in the post-pandemic scenario and to attract the younger generation, who is not as passionate about football. The 12 clubs are estimated to have 5.5B supporters around the world. The new competition is considered the best instrument to lure the new type of fans, who follow single players rather than a team. Moreover, the marketing surveys found the viewership to be primarily interested in big-ticket matches.
Despite the birth of the Super League, UEFA officially announced to have approved the 36-team format for the Champions League that will debut in 2024-2025. PSG, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Porto confirmed that they do not plan to join the other continental giants in the breakaway cup. President Aleksader Ceferin slammed the project, saying that the players that will participate will not be allowed to represent their national teams in the European Championship and World Cup.