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Proposals for a European Super League in association football

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The concept of a European Super League consisting of the best football clubs from across Europe has been discussed for years[citation needed] and has occasionally been officially proposed, but the idea has not yet got off the ground. In 1998, Italian company Media Partners seriously investigated the idea.[1] The plan died after UEFA moved to expand the Champions League competition and abolish the Cup Winners' Cup in order to better accommodate clubs that were considering defecting in order to join the proposed Super League.[2] In July 2009, Real Madrid's Florentino Pérez championed the idea. In August 2009, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger predicted a super league would become reality within 10 years time due to revenue pressure on the continent's elite teams.[3] In February 2012, Clarence Seedorf also predicted the inception of the competition, and gave it his backing.[4] In April 2013 Scotland manager Gordon Strachan said that he believes the Old Firm clubs of Rangers and Celtic would join a future new 38-club two-division European Super League.[5]

Florentino Pérez's 2009 proposal

On July 4, 2009, Florentino Pérez criticized the current Champions League, saying "we have to agree a new European Super League which guarantees that the best always play the best - something that does not happen in the Champions League."[6] Perez stated that he would push for a break-away competition featuring Europe's traditional powerhouses if UEFA didn't do more to ensure these teams played each other annually.[7]

Under Perez's plan, the continent's best teams would remain part of their respective national systems, but would be guaranteed the opportunity to play each other at the conclusion of the regular league season.[7]

In 2016 representatives from Premier League clubs; Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal were seen leaving a meeting that discussed the proposition of a European Super League.

References

  1. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/matthew_syed/article6663252.ece
  2. ^ "Football: Uefa winning 'super league' war". The Independent. London. 24 October 1998.
  3. ^ Hytner, David (17 August 2009). "European super league will be here in 10 years, says Arsène Wenger". The Guardian. London.
  4. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisbevan/2012/02/seedorf_predicts_the_shape_of.html
  5. ^ Ziegler, Martyn; Esplin, Ronnie (10 April 2013). "Celtic and Rangers will join European super league, says Scotland manager Gordon Strachan". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Real Madrid's Florentino Perez reveals 'European Super League' ambition". The Daily Telegraph. London. 5 July 2009.
  7. ^ a b http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article6637943.ece
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