An earthquake rattled the football world Sunday night as 12 of the top European clubs announced the creation of the Super League. Juventus, Milan and Inter have joined Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham in the effort to start the new breakaway competition. Three unnamed teams are set to be added later, while five more would change yearly.
There is no set date for its start as the sides stated that it would begin “as soon as possible.” UEFA, FIFA, Serie A, Premier League and La Liga reacted harshly in a joint statement before the official announcement, threatening severe punishments, including an outright ban and lawsuits. The founders said they want to collaborate with the federations.
The fixtures of the Super League will take place midweek and its participants intend to continue playing in their respective domestic championships. In the first phase, the 20 clubs will be split into two groups that will face each twice. Those that finish in the top four positions will advance to a typical two-legged knock-out stage up until the final. It will guarantee to its members a significantly higher number of matches compared to the current Champions League.
The announcement came the day before UEFA was supposed to unveil the new super-sized format of the top continental competition. JP Morgan is bankrolling the project, Sky UK reported, while DAZN denied its direct involvements after some early rumors. The 15 outfits will divvy up €3.5B as an entrance fee to support their investment in the infrastructures and make up for the losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They aim to generate €10B revenue over the first few years of the new cup.