The “assassination” of the current European football order attempted two years ago by the biggest clubs failed and collapsed overnight like a house of cards. UEFA, fans, politicians managed to thwart the coup of the richest clubs and cut the wings of the ambitious Super League project, but it seems that it was only one battle in the war that is yet to come.The richest do not give up their intention to become even richer. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus lead the group that aims to create an elite competition, but now the plan is somewhat different than two years ago. More clubs than the 20 richest would participate, the competition would not be closed like the unsuccessful and unprofitable basketball Euroleague, and it would have three times as many participants.##EDITORS_CHOICE##The new plan implies the participation of 60 to 80 clubs divided into several divisions with at least 14 guaranteed international matches instead of the previous six.Bernd Reichart, general director of the Super League, released a document with ten points in which he reveals how the new project of the elite competition is conceived.”European football is on the edge of the abyss. There has been a huge imbalance across the continent and traditional European clubs with a glorious history are unable to compete today. Last October we started a dialogue about the future of European football. Since then we have spoken to almost 50 clubs and other participants in the sector and the conclusion shared by almost all is that the foundations on which European football is built are seriously under threat. The time has come for changes,” said Reichart.The ten points of Super League’s new plan are as follows:I – Open competitions based on sporting meritThe European Football League should be an open competition, with several divisions, consisting of between 60 and 80 teams. And that allows for a sustainable distribution of income down the football pyramid. Participation each season should be based on sporting merit, with no permanent members. The qualification system should be open, based on performance in national competitions, which would allow access to the competition for all clubs while maintaining competitive dynamics at the national level.”II – National competitions: the basics of footballParticipating clubs should remain committed to their national competitions and tournaments, as they are today. At the same time, the critical need to strengthen and become more competitive national tournaments across the continent must be addressed. European competitions should play a key role in achieving this goal, generating and injecting additional resources into the entire system.III – Improve competitiveness with stable and sustainable resourcesImproving the competitiveness of European clubs requires greater distribution of financial resources for the entire pyramid and rules of financial sustainability that are rigorously applied. Clubs need greater stability and visibility of their annual income to be able to make long-term commitments, both with their players and infrastructure development. A better and more attractive European format of the competition would generate additional funds, and there is no doubt that the financial stability of the clubs would increase significantly if they were guaranteed a minimum of 14 European games per season.##NAJAVA_MECA_7012946##IV – The health of the players must be the center of our sportThe health of the players should be an essential factor in determining the number of games that must be played each year. The number of competition days should not be increased compared to those planned in the current calendars. Footballer’s associations should be more involved in the safety of players’ health, and social dialogue should be promoted in the EU. It is crucial that third parties cannot force European clubs and their players to participate in new competitions or extended schedules of current tournaments.V – Competitions managed by clubs with transparent and strictly enforced financial sustainability rulesEuropean club competitions should be managed by the clubs, as is the case at national level, and not by third parties who benefit from the system without any risk. Its management structure must be fully compliant with EU regulations. European football must be sustainable and, for this, club spending should be based solely on the resources that clubs are able to generate, not on capital injections from third parties that distort competition. Financial sustainability rules must limit a club’s spending on player wages and transfers to a fixed percentage of their annual income, with special regulations tailored to smaller clubs and the transfer windows.VI – The best football competition in the worldThe aim must be to develop a European football competition that will become the most exciting sporting event in the world. European fans deserve the best matches and the best experience. It is also critical that younger generations, drawn to the globally expanding American sports and digital entertainment media, continue to embrace football/soccer as the world’s most beloved sport. And all this can only be achieved through competitions that allow the best players in the world to compete throughout the season with exciting matches, from start to finish.A22 Sports, the original promoters of the failed European Super League, have announced plans for a new competition. 👀- 60 to 80 teams- Teams would play 14 matches a season- Multiple divisions- No permanent members- Clubs would continue to play in their domestic league. pic.twitter.com/t5R2hmopD2— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 9, 2023 VII – Improve the fan experienceFootball is an intrinsically popular sport and dialogue with fans and independent fan groups is essential to exchange ideas that can improve the fan experience. Additional measures should be taken to make visiting easier for fans. Standards should also be established to regulate the quality of stadiums and other football infrastructure, thereby improving the live football experience.VIII – Development and financing of women’s footballIt is necessary to promote and develop women’s football, raise its profile and put it in the spotlight alongside men’s competitions. In order to achieve this goal, funding from European women’s club competitions should be significantly expanded. Investments in women’s football should be aimed both at the professional level and at the development of grassroots football.IX – Significantly increase solidaritySolidarity towards grassroots football is an essential pillar of European football and should be significantly increased compared to the current level. As announced, a contribution of a minimum of 400 million euros per year for solidarity, non-competition clubs and social purposes – that is, more than double the contribution of current European club competitions – should help achieve this goal. Transparency in management should also be guaranteed through the supervision of independent bodies that publicly and periodically report on the destination of funds and their impact.X – Respect for the values and regulations of the European UnionPlayers in European football should adhere to the values, rules and fundamental freedoms of the European Union. For this reason, no European club should be forced to submit to conflict resolution systems outside the European Union and its rule of law. The jurisdiction of sports arbitration should be strictly limited to matters of a sporting nature, and any matter of a different legal nature should be resolved in the appropriate forum for it. And in all cases, under the ultimate supervision of the judicial system of the European Union.🗣️ LaLiga president Javier Tebas has responded with a Red Riding Hood cartoon. “The Super League is the wolf who today disguises himself as the granny to try and fool European football. But his nose and teeth are very big…” pic.twitter.com/p0usnRgyrF— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) February 9, 2023
