European football leagues reject proposal for a new breakaway competition

European football league organization have rejected proposal for a tournament rivalling UEFA Champions League.

New Delhi: The proposal for a breakaway super league was rejected by the organization that represents the European football leagues. A detail for a new competition, which would be a counterpart to the Champions League, the Unify League, was released earlier this week by Spain-based A22 Sports Management.

Though it isn’t clear what support was available for the proposed competition, it is being said by A22 that there were discussions with clubs, the league and “other parties.” In their statement, the European Leagues, representing 39 leagues and associations, rejected “any suggestion” that any discussion had taken place with their organization. 

Further, they reaffirmed the leagues’ commitment to an ongoing format by which a team qualifies for UEFA competitions, including the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

They further noted that the A22’s competition structure, which wasn’t asked for and is “unsubstantiated” would only increase the number international games in a very packed football calendar. They confirmed that all stakeholders and supporters across the game have consistently declared that any attempt from existing or new international club competitions to expand their calendars at the cost of domestic competition will be unanimously rejected.

Attempts were made earlier as well with the Super League in 2021, in which the top 15 clubs were protected from relegation, and ultimately, the league collapsed in the face of angry fan protests. A22 launched a revised format last year, which featured promotion, relegation and exit from the competition along with the women’s tournament.

The latest plans included 96 clubs, with qualification for the tournament being “based on the annual performance in the domestic leagues,” the company said. Football, over the last year, has been very vocal about the increasing pressure in a calendar year. Piling injuries have been noted to have an effect on the game, which has ultimately affected teams.

Roheen Ghosh

Roheen is an enthusiast for all things sports and motoring. He regularly follows football and cricket and immerses himself in the tactical intricacies of the game and keeps his eye on the automotive industry’s development.

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