A22 Sports Management (A22), an advisory firm behind the controversial European Super League concept, has written to FIFA and UEFA to propose a new competition.
The new pan-European tournament, the Unify League, aims to address key challenges in modern football, such as fan affordability, broadcasting and more.
The announcement was made on the company’s LinkedIn, featuring a video of Bernd Reichart, CEO of A22, who said: “Now is the time for all stakeholders, including UEFA and FIFA, to bring real innovation that prioritises fan experience and affordability, player welfare and match competitiveness.
“We remain committed to fostering relationships built on mutual respect, transparency, and constructive dialogue. The fans, players, clubs, leagues and other groups that make up the football community deserve nothing less.”
Alongside the video, the company shared a link to a letter addressed to Theodore Theodoridis, UEFA General Secretary, and Mattias Grafström, FIFA General Secretary.
The letter acknowledges the ongoing conflict between A22 Management, UEFA, and FIFA, which stemmed from A22’s attempt to create the European Super League in 2021.
In short, the European Super League sought to select the top clubs from each European league, bypassing UEFA and changing football as we know it.
An excerpt from the letter read: “As our initiative has progressed over time, A22 faced recurring, intense resistance from your association [UEFA] – conduct which is inconsistent with an entity that must at all times be open, transparent and free from conflicts of interest.
“Now that the CJEU [Court of Justice of the European Union] ruling has applied the law and fundamentally changed the governance standards in international club football, the era of conflict should be behind us and we are hopeful all parties can come together to work jointly for the good of the sport.”
The Proposal
As mentioned earlier, A22 has outlined several reasons for launching the Unify League. The letter highlights key areas for improvement, including fan affordability, live match video distribution, the development of women’s club football, the format and competitiveness of European club competitions and governance.
So what will this new competition offer?
The competition will initially include 96 clubs, with teams qualifying based on their annual performance in domestic leagues. The format will feature a 14-match League Stage, consisting of 7 home and 7 away matches, running from September to April, followed by a knockout stage starting with the quarterfinals.
This approach contrasts with the current UEFA club competitions – the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League – which were recently revamped to include more matches, a move that has faced strong criticism from players’ unions.
In addition to the new competition, A22 has proposed the Unify streaming service, which the company believes could address many of football’s current challenges.
The rising costs of football have been a major issue for supporters, with clubs consistently increasing ticket prices and matches being spread across multiple broadcasters, each requiring a subscription.
To tackle these problems, A22’s platform aims to provide free live match streaming for fans, supported by ads, along with innovative subscription options. This approach will make watching football at home much more affordable, and will also apply to the women’s game.
Notably, this model aligns with strategies already set to be used by DAZN and FIFA at next year’s Club World Cup.
Additionally, A22 has pledged to offer higher annual payments to grassroots football and improve governance. The company argues that clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League currently lack direct governance rights over the competition’s structure and management.
The letter concluded: “We hope this submission is received in the spirit in which it has been prepared: one of cooperation, consensus, transparency, good governance, and compliance with European Union law. We welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss this proposal, as well as the insights gained from our multi-year stakeholder dialogue, at your earliest convenience.”
