What is European Super League? Which teams will participate in European Super League?

The future of the Champions League and other top leagues in Europe was thrown into major doubt following the news of a European Super League, featuring 12 top clubs from the continent. The European Super League will see the 'Big 6' of the English football community team up with six other elite clubs in Europe in a bid to maximise revenue and profit. Here's a look at what is European Super League, the European Super League format, teams and the money involved in the same. 

European Super League money: European Super League format, teams

According to multiple reports, the European Super League teams involve England's Big Six clubs along with three each from Italy and Spain that have signed up to form a major breakaway league which could spell the death of the Champions League. Initially spearheaded by LaLiga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, the proposed new competition could generate £3.1 billion for the first 15 members. While talks of a breakaway league have long been in the news, it accelerated closer to reality since the COVID-19 pandemic, with clubs attempting to mitigate losses.

As reported by The Telegraph on the European Super League money, a project funded by US investment firm JP Morgan would include an NBA-style format, releasing an "infrastructure grant” ranging from £310 million to £89 million per club involved to cover damages during Covid-19. 

Along with the six English and two Spanish clubs, the other European Super League teams involve Atletico Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan have also signed up, while Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain opted out of the idea. The proposals have suggested a 20-team league, made up of 15 permanent members and five who would qualify annually. The European Super League format would see two groups of 10 clubs, with the top four from each group going through to a knockout phase that would be similar to the current Champions League. Matches would still be midweek and could continue alongside the traditional domestic competition. The main advantage for the 15 founders is guaranteed entry and the revenue that goes with it each year. 

The European Super League is an attempt to derail the Champions League reforms, set to be rubber-stamped by the UEFA from 2024. UEFA had been confident that the current changes to the format of the Champions League from 2024 were enough to see off the European Super League, having drawn up plans to guarantee more fixtures and more certainty that the biggest clubs would be involved in the lucrative competition in the first place. While clubs on Friday gave the governing body the green light to approve the plan on Monday, concerns remained among the giants around media and sponsorship rights.

(Image Courtesy: Realmadrid.com, fcbarcelona.com, manutd.com, Liverpool Twitter)