The European Club Association (ECA) have responded to the announcement of a proposed new version of a European Super League.
A22 Sports Management, a Madrid-based company that is a backer for the proposed Super League, have issued revamped plans for a competition that initially failed two years ago. Liverpool were one of 12 clubs that had initially signed up to the proposal in 2021, only to back out following fan protests across the country.
The new plans say that a multi-divisional competition would be made up of 60 to 80 teams. However, it was not stated how the founding clubs would be decided.
READ MORE: Liverpool confirm European Super League stance after new proposals emerge
READ MORE: Everton confirm European Super League stance after new proposals emerge
A few months after the original plans for a European Super League collapsed, Liverpool reaffirmed their stance in September 2021: "Our involvement in the proposed ESL plans has been discontinued." The ECHO has been told by club sources that the full statement from Liverpool remains the case and that the plan moving forward is to continue to foster a good working relationship with the Supporters Board.
Everton's stance is believed to be unchanged from the views that senior club figures made clear in 2021. Chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale said at the time: "This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan."
Now the ECA have issued a strongly-worded statement against the proposed plans announced by A22. The statement reads: “ECA notes the latest dispatch from A22's alternative reality.
“However, in the real world, this rehashed idea has already been proposed, discussed and comprehensively rejected by all stakeholders in 2019.
“This is just another deliberately distorted and misleading attempt to de-stabilise the constructive work currently taking place between football's real stakeholders to move things forward in the overall best interests of the European club game.
“As the sole organisation recognised by FIFA and UEFA representing clubs at European and international level, and the only body through which clubs have genuine representation in their decision-making, ECA reiterates its long-standing opposition to the European Super League and any breakaway project.
“A great amount of progress and positive change has been achieved by ECA in recent years in collaborative partnership with all football stakeholders – UEFA, FIFA and the confederations, national associations, leagues, fans, players and clubs of all sizes – working for the benefit of the entire European football ecosystem.
“From 2024 more clubs from more countries will participate in European men’s club competitions every season, growing the passion of European football and greatly increasing the amount of revenue being shared. Significant progress can be seen across other aspects of the game from women’s football, youth and academy development, finance and regulation to sustainability and social impact.
“This is what real change looks like. We have moved on, when will A22?”
This follows on from a statement from the Football Supporters’ Association (FCA), which echoes the views from the ECA. Their statement, issued by chief executive Kevin Miles, also hits out at suggestions that a European Super League is what’s right for football.
“The walking corpse that is the European Super League twitches again with all the self-awareness one associates with a zombie.
“Their newest idea is to have an ‘open competition’ rather than the closed shop their original proposed that led to huge fan protests.
“Of course an open competition for Europe’s top clubs already exists - it’s called the Champions League.
“They say ‘dialogue with fans and independent fan groups is essential’ yet the European Zombie League marches on - wilfully ignorant to the contempt supporters across the continent have for it.”
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