A little while ago I noted that there was renewed interest in the idea of an Atlantic League for smaller European countries. I have also heard a few whispers that the idea of a European Super League for top clubs is being revived.
A little while ago I noted that there was renewed interest in the idea of an Atlantic League for smaller European countries. I have also heard a few whispers that the idea of a European Super League for top clubs is being revived.
It is doubtful whether this would be an entirely separate competition, so in one sense it would be an enhanced Champions League. But it would be a league rather than a knockout competition in its later stages, although what would happen to the Champions League itself is unclear. In any event domestic leagues would have to become smaller at the top level but that has been part of the agenda of big clubs for some time.
Why now? One reason may be the crisis in the European Union. The EU has always been interested in the idea of a super league as a way of creating a European space for ordinary citizens. One might think that they have their hands full with Greeks bearing debts but it is a multi-headed monster.
However, the real pressure is coming from within the game. For example, it is increasingly been questioned whether La Liga is sustainable as a competition when it is dominated by the Barca-Real duopoly.
Nothing could happen until 2014 when the European Club Association’s memorandum of understanding with Fifa and Uefa expires. Its head Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rumenigge has made it clear that when it ends the ECA will do what it likes: ‘After that time we can no longer be forced to respect FIFA statutes or UEFA regulations. And we won’t be obliged to compete in their competitions.’
Of course, the ECA is not the G-14 which was a self-selected elite of top clubs. It has 197 clubs in membership, including the likes of Bangor City. But the elite clubs could always form another organisation of their own if they felt so inclined.