European Super League: How will the competition work – and why is it so controversial? | UK News

Twelve teams have so far confirmed that they will be part of a new European Super League competition.

Who is involved?

The “founding clubs” are AC Milan, Arsenal, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, ​​FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

Three more clubs are expected to join ahead of the first season – and five more will qualify each year based on their performance in the previous season.

No German or French club has registered to date.

What is the format of the competition?

The clubs will play midweek matches while continuing to play in their domestic leagues.

From August, two groups of 10 clubs will play at home and away, with the top three from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

The teams finishing fourth and fifth will face off in a two-man play-off for the remaining quarter-finals.

A two-round knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which would be a single game at a neutral venue.

What about women’s football?

A women’s tournament will be launched “as soon as possible after the start of the men’s competition” to “advance and develop women’s football,” the league said.

Why now?

The Super League said the coronavirus pandemic has “accelerated the instability of the existing European football business model”, also showing that a “sustainable business approach” is needed to support the “European football pyramid”.

He said: “In recent months there has been an extensive dialogue with football stakeholders regarding the future format of European competitions.

“The founding clubs believe that the solutions proposed as a result of these discussions do not solve fundamental problems, including the need to provide better quality matches and additional financial resources for the football pyramid as a whole.”