Share This Article
- On 11th April 2021 the “Super League” of European football launched
- Within 72 hours it was declared dead on arrival as “founding” clubs sought to leave
- The Smart Money podcast, in a special episode, covered the topic in detail – check it below
- In the coming weeks, Business Of Sport will delve, very, very deep into this topic with a multi-series set of stories
In the span of 72 hours, the absolute core of football was rocked with the launch of a long-mooted Super League.
If you’re just coming to the story right now and wondering what the issue was, there were some serious problems that the game’s authorities, governments and most of all, fans, had with this project. It all comes at a time where Uefa was trying to reform the Champions League (read more about that here).
The Smart Money podcast (find out more about the pod here) covered this news as it broke in detail. Joined by Colin Watt, we delved deeply into the topic – see the video below.
In a press release distributed very late on Sunday, 11th April 2021, outlining its reasons for launching the Super League.
The new annual tournament will provide significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments which will grow in line with league revenues.
The Super League
What made the Super League so controversial?
The biggest sticking points with the Super League proposal included:
- Comprising just 12 “founding” teams, (with the aim of having 15 at launch), the Super League teams signaled they would leave the Champions League.
- The league would have removed relegation completely for these permanent “founding” members – operating like a hybrid NFL/NBA type competition
- A remaining, rotating cast of 5 “guest” teams to participate, based on an unknown formula
- At the end of the regular season, the top four clubs in each division will progress to a knockout round. These playoffs will be held over the course of four weeks at the end of the season
- The “founding” clubs were to receive £2.5 billion in initial infrastructure payments
The Latest Business Of Sport Posts
- Why you should visit the College Football Hall Of Fame In Atlanta
- Home run! What it’s really like at a Boston Red Sox baseball game
- How the American Cornhole League is turning the sport pro
The story is deep, complex and we’ll be diving into this topic over the coming weeks with a multi-series of stories focused on every aspect of this botched Super League.
Stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the Smart Money podcast link above for more on the Super League.
