The European Super League was a proposed annual club football competition that would have featured top European clubs. The concept was first officially announced in April 2021 by 12 founding clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur from England; AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus from Italy; and Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid from Spain.
The proposal faced immediate and widespread criticism from fans, players, managers, football governing bodies, and government officials across Europe. Within 48 hours of the announcement, all six English clubs withdrew from the project following massive public backlash and protests.
By April 21, 2021, the Super League announced it would suspend operations after nine of the twelve founding clubs withdrew. Only Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus remained committed to the project initially, though Juventus later confirmed their withdrawal in 2023.
The proposed league structure would have featured 20 participating clubs with 15 permanent founding members and 5 qualifying teams based on their domestic league performance. This closed-shop model was heavily criticized for undermining the principles of sporting merit and promotion/relegation that are fundamental to European football.
In response to the Super League proposal, UEFA introduced reforms to the Champions League format starting from the 2024-25 season, expanding the tournament from 32 to 36 teams and implementing a single league phase instead of the traditional group stage format. |
