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George Bennett

Fresh European Super League proposal announced with 80-team competition mooted

The European Super League backers have announced that they want to launch a new version of the project which failed two years ago. The competition's chief executive has proposed a new-look, open European Super League which could contain up to 80 teams in a multi-divisional format

The competition would be based on sporting performance only with no permanent members. Teams would be guaranteed a minimum of 14 matches per season, A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart told German newspaper Die Welt.

A22, a company formed to sponsor and assist with the creation of the Super League, has consulted with nearly 50 European clubs since October, and have developed 10 principles which underpin its plan for a new-look league.

Reichart wrote: "The foundations of European football are in danger of collapsing. It is time for a change. It is the clubs that bear the entrepreneurial risk in football.

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"But when important decisions are at stake, they are too often forced to sit idly by on the sidelines as the sporting and financial foundations crumble around them.

"Our talks have also made it clear that clubs often find it impossible to speak out publicly against a system that uses the threat of sanctions to thwart opposition

"Our dialogue was open, honest, constructive and resulted in clear ideas about what changes are needed and how they could be implemented. There is a lot to do and we will continue our dialogue.".

In 2021, a breakaway league was announced with 12 founding members, including Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Manchester United.

The announcement of the Super League was met with fierce opposition and collapsed within days. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are the only remaining members of the Super League. A22 have contested the right of UEFA and FIFA to block the formation of the Super League and punish the competing clubs in court.

They argue that the governing bodies are abusing a dominant position under EU competition law. The European Court of Justice will make a final ruling on the case later this year.

Reichart has revealed that the national league would remain 'the foundation' of the game, and argued that the new Super League would generate new revenues to support the entire pyramid.

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