IT'S ON - Man Utd, Arsenal amongst 12 clubs confirming European Super League | OneFootball

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Tribal Football

·18 April 2021

IT'S ON - Man Utd, Arsenal amongst 12 clubs confirming European Super League

Article image:IT'S ON - Man Utd, Arsenal amongst 12 clubs confirming European Super League

Europe's biggest clubs have officially announced their intention to establish a 'European Super League'.

Premier League clubs Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham have joined.


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Spanish clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Italian clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus will round out the competition.

The clubs all released a statement late on Sunday announcing the European Super League agreement as well as the competition's format.

The statement read: "Twelve of Europe's leading football clubs have today come together to announce they have agreed to establish a new midweek competition, the Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs.

"AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined as Founding Clubs. It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.

"Going forward, the Founding Clubs look forward to holding discussions with UEFA and FIFA to work together in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole.

"The formation of the Super League comes at a time when the global pandemic has accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model. Further, for a number of years, the Founding Clubs have had the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis.

"The pandemic has shown that a strategic vision and a sustainable commercial approach are required to enhance value and support for the benefit of the entire European football pyramid. In recent months extensive dialogue has taken place with football stakeholders regarding the future format of European competitions.

"The Founding Clubs believe the solutions proposed following these talks do not solve fundamental issues, including the need to provide higher-quality matches and additional financial resources for the overall football pyramid."

Joel Glazer, Co-Chairman of Manchester United and Vice-Chairman of the Super League said: "By bringing together the world's greatest clubs and players to play each other throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider football pyramid."

COMPETITION FORMAT

• 20 participating clubs with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.

• Midweek fixtures with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.

• An August start with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter finals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.

As soon as practicable after the start of the men's competition, a corresponding women's league will also be launched, helping to advance and develop the women's game.

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