Berlin: Bernd Reichart, the CEO of A22 Sports Management, a company formed to sponsor and support the creation of a breakaway European football league, has stated that the league could include as many as 80 teams. In a statement outlining the results of A22’s talks with 50 European clubs and stakeholders of football, the company said change is necessary in the current football landscape.
“The vast majority of them share the assessment that the very foundation of European football is under threat, and it is time for change,” A22 said in the statement. “Feedback suggests a European football league that is open, based solely on sporting merit, multidivisional with 60 to 80 clubs and a minimum of 14 guaranteed European matches per club.”
In April 2021, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus were among the 12 clubs that announced plans to form a breakaway Super League. However, the move quickly collapsed after facing opposition from fans, governments, and players, forcing Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid to withdraw their involvement.
Reichart stated that the goal is to present a sustainable sporting project for European club competitions available to at least all 27 EU Member States as soon as possible after the resolution of the ongoing court case. The case is centered around whether UEFA and FIFA’s statutes, which allow them to block rival events and bar clubs and players from participating, are in compliance with EU competition rules.
However, the plan has faced opposition from several parties, including Spain’s La Liga President Javier Tebas and the European Club Association (ECA). The ECA called A22’s proposal a “rehashed idea” that had already been “proposed, discussed, and comprehensively rejected by all stakeholders in 2019.” The Football Supporters’ Association also stated that the plan does not have the support of the continent’s fans.
