European Super League is BACK as it sets out plans to replace Champions League

THE European Super League has set out new plans to replace the Champions League with a 60 to 80-team competition.

The latest idea would see each club involved play a minimum of 14 games per season, with no permanent members.

The announcement was made by European sports development company A22 – a Madrid-based sister company of the European Super League.

It comes amid an ongoing legal dispute between Uefa and the three remaining teams in the ESL – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – an idea which was quashed within three days by fan protests in April 2021.

A22 claim the idea for the formation of the new competition comes after discussions with clubs around Europe about their economic difficulties.

However, it is not yet known how Real, Barca or Juventus would make way for new teams within the structure, or even who would run the league.

Chief executive of A22, Bernd Reichart, slammed Uefa in an interview with German newspaper Welt as he insisted clubs have no power over the existing European competitions.

He said: “It is the clubs that bear the entrepreneurial risk in football.

“But when it comes to important decisions, they are too often forced to stand idly by from the sidelines as the sporting and financial foundations run under their hands.

“Our talks have also made it clear that it is often impossible for clubs to raise their voices publicly against a system that uses the threat of sanctions to prevent opposition.”

Reichart went on to claim a new format would also support domestic leagues, women’s football, the fans, financial sustainability, and the health of the players.

And Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has claimed previously that there would be greater solidarity payments for clubs not competing in Europe.

It is understood the ESL is keen to address the dominance of the Premier League given its overwhelming advantages when it comes to television rights and activity in the transfer market.

The original Super League members were Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Man Utd, Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Last year, Uefa revealed plans for a new Champions League structure which will consist of 36 teams in a single division playing ten group-stage matches – a format that will come into force at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

But the European organisation’s dispute with the Super League is continuing to rumble on.

In December, Uefa were handed a boost the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg when advocate-general Athanasios Rantos’ advice to the court sided with the European body.

Rantos found that EU competition law was in line with the restrictions Uefa and Fifa possess over football.

He went on to state the governing body’s power was “proportionate” for achieving Uefa’s “legitimate objectives” in accordance with EU policy.

Rantos’ advice is not binding to ECJ judges but is often followed.