More than a dozen major clubs across Europe are in talks to become founding members of a potential new competition called the ‘European Premier League’, which could usurp the Champions League as the elite European club tournament.
Manchester United and Liverpool were the two clubs thought to be among the negotiators behind the much-criticized and recently dismissed ‘Project Big Picture’ in England, which has reshaped the size of the Premier League. tried to cut back, giving more power to the country’s biggest teams and providing financial bailouts for sides moving down the league pyramid.
Sky News has revealed that financiers are currently trying to arrange a funding package worth £4.6 billion, with prize money for the winners of the new breakout competition potentially worth hundreds of millions each season. There is money.
It is said that 18 teams will compete each year, with fixtures played during the European season. The league format will then give way to a final playoff-style knockout tournament to determine the overall winner.
It appears to be the closest step towards the break-up European Super League that has been rumored for years. However, nothing has been confirmed yet.
It would not end participation in existing domestic leagues – Manchester United and Liverpool, for example, would continue to play in the English Premier League, but it could end the Champions League.
The Champions League could be in jeopardy/David Ramos/Getty Images
Apart from United and Liverpool, it has been reported that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham have been approached about potentially joining as well. But it is said that out of a total of 18, only five English clubs could have a place, with the rest from Spain, Italy, France and Germany. That means one of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ could miss out.
The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain would also be obvious choices to invite to any kind of new elite European club competition.
Each founding member of the ‘European Premier League’, believed to be backed by FIFA, could be paid millions of rupees to participate. It is not known whether UEFA supports the new tournament, but a Sky report cites inside sources as claiming they do not.
FIFA backs new competition, but it’s unclear if UEFA does / Ozan Kos/Getty Images
Without UEFA’s backing, expected legal challenges could make it difficult for the ‘European Premier League’ to get up and running any time soon, while the current UEFA club competition structure runs until the summer of 2024. Is.
Other details, such as whether it will be a league closed to founding members only or whether it will be possible for clubs to qualify through domestic leagues, are unclear.
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