On Sunday, Apr. 18, 12 of Europe’s most valued soccer clubs announced that they had agreed to form a new competition called the “European Super League”. It is said that the clubs (which include Barcelona, Juventus, and Liverpool) are doing this so as to rival the UEFA Champions League, arguably the most prestigious club soccer competition in the world. In addition to the 12 “founding clubs,” three more clubs will join the organization before the first season. The founding clubs stated that they are looking to start the competition in August. 

The proposed format is two groups of 10 teams, with each team playing each other home and away in their groups followed by a knockout stage. All games will be played weekly, with the league running from August to May. The 15 founding clubs will govern the tournament and five other teams will have to qualify each season, adding up to a total of 20 teams in the competition. Eight of the teams will qualify for the knockout stage, playing home and away (with the aggregate score deciding who will advance) until the single-match final. All clubs will still remain in their respective domestic leagues. 

Even though the proposed league was only announced on Sunday, it has already garnered many negative reactions. A number of leagues and organizations in Europe (like UEFA) are seeing it as a power grab due to it excluding smaller clubs. Equally prominent clubs such as German teams Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and French team Paris Saint-Germain have decided not to participate in the European Super League in opposition to it. 

Many soccer pundits are opposed to the idea as well, with commentator and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville telling Sky Sports he was “disgusted” and calling it “an absolute disgrace.” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin claimed that players who join the European Super League will be banned from playing in World Cups and European Championships if the league takes shape. Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticized it, tweeting that the league would be “very damaging for football” and that “the clubs involved must answer to their fans and the wider footballing community before taking any further steps.” 

Although there has been much backlash against the European Super League, the clubs do not seem like they will want to cancel their plans anytime soon.