LaLiga has again condemned plans for a European Super League (ESL), citing what would be a ‘direct threat’ to the national football championships.
This week, A22 Sports Management has been pushing for a revamped European league, which would be based purely on sporting performance and with no permanent members, and could contain as many as 80 teams.
The new format is very different to the original ESL put forward two years ago – which would feature just 20 high-profile teams with no system of relegation – but has still faced harsh criticism.
Regarding the proposed model as ‘not demographic’, LaLiga stated that it would place a lot of power in the hands of a few rich clubs, leaving those small and medium sized clubs behind.
A22 has consulted with around 50 European clubs since October 2022, developing 10 principles which highlight its plans for a new-look league.
“While the Super League promoters claim their proposed competition will be open, the reality is that they are rewarding European football for the benefit and economic security of big clubs,” the Spanish league said in a statement.
The idea of a Super League received widespread backlash when first introduced in 2019. Consequently, English participants Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur backed out of the project within 48 hours.
“Domestic championships disappear if there is no direct qualification to the top of European football,” LaLiga continued. “A model based on ‘various divisions’ is being proposed to allow the elites to ensure their performance in the topflight, shunning the rest.”
Naming it a ‘disaster’ for national leagues, the governing body suggested that the idea will overall ‘kill European football as we know it’, with a report from KMPG estimating a total loss of global income in Spain’s top division up to 55% and 64% for non-Super League teams.
This contradicts the opinion of A22’s Chief Executive, Bernd Reichart, who asserted that the new format would provide ‘stability and predictability’ of revenue.
“The Super League will mean an economic vacuum for the domestic leagues, but it will also lead to a reduction of income for the Super League clubs in the medium and long-term, thus destroying the entire industry: GDP, jobs and taxes,” LiaLiga concluded.
