The creators of the Super League have submitted an official application for the approval of their competitions. The mode has been changed and should now comply with the requirements of the European Court of Justice and UEFA. There is also a new name: “Unify League”
The marketing company A22 said it had submitted the proposal “in order to obtain official recognition from UEFA and FIFA”. UEFA has been contacted for a statement.
The name of the competition was changed to “Unify League”. This name is based on an announced streaming service that will show the games for free.
New mode: Qualification via national leagues
A22 emphasizes that the proposal includes a changed mode in which clubs qualify based on their placement in the national leagues. “The request is in line with UEFA’s interpretation of the ‘European Sport Model’,” said A22.
A22’s application to UEFA, which is available to Sportschau, envisages four competitions with 96 clubs:
- Star League: 16 clubs
- Gold League: 16 clubs
- Blue League: 32 clubs
- Union League: 32 clubs
Contrary to previous proposals, there should no longer be promotion or relegation between the leagues. Such a model would have meant a devaluation of national leagues such as the Bundesliga.
According to the proposal, all four competitions should be played in groups of eight. In the Star League and the Gold League, the four best clubs in each of the two groups should reach the quarter-finals. In the Blue League and the Union League, the two best clubs in each of the four groups would advance.
According to the proposal, the Bundesliga would have five direct starting places – based on the UEFA five-year rankings: two each in the Star League and the Gold League and one in the Blue League. There would also be two qualifying places in each of the two lower leagues. Nine clubs would then have the opportunity to play internationally, i.e. half the Bundesliga.
Power struggle between A22 and UEFA
The motion, signed by A22 managing director Bernd Reichart, concludes: “We hope that this motion will be received in the spirit in which it was prepared: one of cooperation, consensus, transparency, good governance and compliance with European legislation.”
A22 managing director Bernd Reichart
There was a massive power struggle between UEFA and the A22 company, behind which Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are the main drivers of the Super League. UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin tried many measures to prevent the Super League. In addition to sanctions that were imposed and later withdrawn, it reorganized its European Cup competitions and thus provided the clubs with significantly more income, which should make a Super League unnecessary for them.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin
The first attempt to introduce a Super League in 2021 initially envisaged the inclusion of 16 clubs. Twelve reported their participation at the time: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool FC, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus Turin. There was no club from Germany.
A22 and UEFA fought for interpretative sovereignty in the ECJ ruling
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in December 2023 that the regulations under which FIFA and UEFA must pre-approve new competitions contradict European law. From the court’s point of view, FIFA and UEFA are using their dominant market position within the existing framework.
The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg
While A22 hailed the decision as a success, UEFA pointed out that the ruling only related to deficiencies in the process for approving competitions. From their point of view, these deficiencies have been corrected. UEFA had adopted corresponding regulations for the approval of competitions in June 2022. “UEFA is confident of the robustness of its new rules and in particular that they comply with all relevant European laws and regulations”said UEFA.
UEFA is therefore relying on at least maintaining its function as the body that can approve and reject competitions like the Super League. According to the ECJ, UEFA must do this according to transparent and non-discriminatory criteria and must not give advantage to its own competitions.
clubs, leagues, Players’ Union and fans continue to reject Super League
In defending the Super League, UEFA is also trying to get all of football’s key stakeholders behind it. The most important thing here is the voices of the clubs. The club association ECA said it stood with everyone else involved in football “more united than ever against the attempts of a few individuals to pursue personal goals and the intentions to undermine the foundations and basic principles of European football.” The European league association, numerous European leagues, as well as the players’ union FIFPRO and the Football Supporters Europe fan alliance also criticized the Super League.
For FC Bayern Munich, CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen made it clear to the Sportschau: “It remains a clear no to a Super League.” Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen also spoke out against the Super League, and numerous clubs from the old Super League from 2021 also canceled. For example, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Inter Milan supported the existing system.