64 clubs, 3 divisions: Super League’s new plan

The European Super League’s backer, A22 Sports, set out its updated proposals for a Champions League replacement on Thursday after a European court found that UEFA’s rules restricting the creation of new competitions were “unlawful.”

A22 Sports chief executive Bernd Reichart outlined plans for a three-league, 64-club men’s competition and a two-league, 32-club women’s competition. It would replace the UEFA Champions League and Women’s Champions League.

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Thus far, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and Barcelona president Joan Laporta have made statements publicly supporting the A22 plans, while the players’ union, FIFPRO, as well as UEFA, FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) have positioned themselves once again against a new Europe-wide club competition.

Manchester United reiterated they would also not support a Super League.

“Our position has not changed. We remain fully committed to participation in UEFA competitions, and to positive cooperation with UEFA, the Premier League, and fellow clubs through the ECA on the continued development of the European game,” the club said in a statement on Thursday.

Bayern Munich echoed Manchester United on Thursday saying in a statement that “such a competition would be an attack on the importance of the national leagues and the structure of European football.”

A22 proposed the launch of a new sports streaming platform to broadcast the Super League, saying that all matches would be available free to fans, with income generated by advertising, premium subscriptions and sponsorship.

The men’s Super League would consist of two leagues — the “Star League” and “Gold League” — consisting of 16 clubs each, and a third ‘Blue League’ made up of 32 clubs, A22 said.

There would be promotion and relegation between the leagues, with access to the Blue League based on domestic league performance.

Clubs would play in groups of eight, home and away, with a minimum of 14 matches per year, played midweek. At the end of each season, a knockout stage of eight clubs would decide the champions of each league.

In the women’s Super League, there would be two leagues, the “Star” and “Gold” leagues, with 16 clubs in each, playing in groups of eight, in a similar format.

A22 said income would be guaranteed for the first three years, and ‘solidarity payments’ would represent 8% of the Super League’s income, with a minimum payment of €400 million ($439m).

The proposal was the result of “extensive dialogue” with fans, players, clubs and leagues over the past two years, the group said.