What is the European Super League and how would it work?

April 21, 2021 by World Economic Forum Leave a Comment

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.

Author: Kate Whiting, Senior Writer, Formative Content

News that 12 top-flight European soccer teams are planning a breakaway Super League is dominating global headlines.
It’s also sparked reactions from the game’s governing bodies and fans.
Here’s what you need to know about the European Super League.

On 18 April, 12 of Europe’s top soccer clubs announced they were launching a breakaway Super League. Here are five key questions answered.

1. What is the ESL?

The European Super League is effectively an alternative to the Union for European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League, which would guarantee places in the competition to the founding clubs, rather than requiring qualification through their domestic leagues.

It is being financed by US investment bank JP Morgan, which is providing a $4.2 billion grant for the teams to spend on infrastructure and recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Which teams are involved in the Super League?

There are six from the English Premier League: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. Three more hail from Spain: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. And the final three come from Italy: Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan.

3. How would the breakaway Super League work?

In a statement, the Super League said it plans to launch “as soon as practicable” and add three more teams as founder members to bring the total to 15.

A 20-team midweek league would run, with five teams qualifying each season “based on their achievements in the prior seasons”.

The format of the competition would be two groups of 10 playing home- and away fixtures with the top three in each group qualifying for the quarter-finals. A play-off involving fourth and fifth placed teams would complete the final eight.

There are also plans to launch a women’s Super League competition after the men’s league is up and running, Reuters reports.

4. Why are they doing it?

Juventus President Andrea Agnelli, Vice-Chairman of the new league, said the move would secure the long-term future of the game, following the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most clubs have been hit hard by the lack of spectators over the past year, and many have sizeable debts, reports the BBC.

The Founding Chairman of the Super League, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, said: “We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world. Football is the only global sport in the world with more than 4 billion fans, and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”

Aggregate revenues in European top divisions. — Operating revenues for European clubs fell sharply during the pandemic. Image: KPMG

5. What has the reaction been?

UEFA held an emergency meeting about the Super League on Monday and said players and clubs could be banned from UEFA competitions – including three of this season’s Champions League semi-finalists.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has objected to the plans and the UK government is looking at options to penalize the six English teams that have signed up.

In January, the world’s soccer governing body, FIFA, warned that any breakaway league would not be recognized by them, warning players involved could be banned from taking part in the World Cup.

The Super League letter urged FIFA and UEFA to agree to talks, Reuters reports, and said they wanted the breakaway league to exist alongside current European club competitions.

Guaranteed spots go against long-standing tradition in European soccer, but the founding clubs argue it will create a more sustainable financial model.

“The formation of the Super League comes at a time when the global pandemic has accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model,” they said.

But even fans of the clubs involved have condemned the move, while British broadcaster BT Sport – which airs the Champions League – said the Super League could have a “damaging effect [on] the long-term health of football in this country”.

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

This article is published in association with United Nations.

UN agencies step up Ebola response in eastern DR Congo

May 22, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. United Nations agencies have moved swiftly to support efforts to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), delivering emergency medical supplies, protective equipment and logistics support. As health authorities in both the DRC and Uganda respond to the deadly resurgence, the […]

© UNICEF/Josue Mulala Emergency aid is prepared for delivery to Kasaï province in response to the recently declared Ebola virus disease outbreak in DR Congo.

Ebola risk is high inside DR Congo but it’s no pandemic emergency: WHO

May 21, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda does not represent a global pandemic emergency, although the risk is high at a regional and national level, the UN health agency chief said on Wednesday. In an update on the fast-developing situation in […]

How the Hormuz crisis keeps disrupting kitchens, ports and paychecks

May 20, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran may have eased fears of a wider regional war, but persistent instability around the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global trade, drive up energy costs and fuel a growing jobs and cost-of-living crisis. The fallout is being […]

© UNFPA Ukraine In March 2026, a maternity hospital in Odesa, Ukraine was attacked by Russian forces.

World News in Brief: More attacks in Ukraine, violence against children in Haiti, refugee IDs in Africa

May 19, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Civilians, including humanitarians, continue to face great danger across war-torn Ukraine amid ongoing hostilities, according to the UN humanitarian relief coordination office there, OCHA. Over the past three days, frontline attacks killed at least 11 civilians and injured nearly 200 others, including five children, as reported by […]

UN Photo/Milton Grant Sculpture depicting St. George slaying the dragon. The dragon is created from fragments of Soviet SS-20 andUnited States Pershing nuclear missiles.

Nuclear terror threat ‘has never been so high’

May 19, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The widespread availability of new technology, such as militarised drones and artificial intelligence, means that the current threat of nuclear terrorism is higher than it has ever been. The humanitarian, environmental, and economic consequences of a radiological or nuclear terrorist attack would be global, undermining international peace […]

© UNICEF/Nyan Zay Htet Recent disruptions to energy supplies and global supply chains have reverberated across development and humanitarian sectors, including relief efforts in Myanmar, where millions remain in need of assistance.

Global energy and trade disruption pushing millions towards poverty

May 18, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Disruptions to global energy supplies and trade corridors are driving up the cost of food, transport and essential goods worldwide, slowing economic growth and increasing pressure on vulnerable households and debt-strapped developing countries. The warnings came during a special meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council […]

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher (centre) along with Ambassador Mike Waltz (right) and Jeremy P. Lewin of the United States hold a joint press briefing on funding to the humanitarian system.

UN welcomes $1.8 billion US boost for humanitarian operations

May 15, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. An additional $1.8 billion in US humanitarian funding will allow the United Nations and its partners to expand emergency relief operations reaching millions of people worldwide, as rising global needs and funding shortfalls force aid agencies to scale back assistance. The funding announcement, made on Wednesday by […]

© WHO/Hanan Balkhy Displaced families are living in overcrowded tents and makeshift shelters, surrounded by waste and debris, with limited access to safe water and sanitation services.

World News in Brief: Mounting waste in Gaza, drone attacks in Sudan, aid truck struck in Ukraine

May 14, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Mounting waste and limited access to sanitation sites are deepening health risks for families across Gaza, as humanitarian workers warn that overcrowded dumping areas and worsening living conditions threaten vulnerable communities. Ramiz Alakbarov, UN’s top aid official in Occupied Palestinian Territory visited a dumping site in Gaza […]

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Franco Miguel Nodado, a 4th-year medical student from the Philippines. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Autism Spectrum Disorders in Global Health: Bridging the Gap in Awareness, Early Diagnosis, and Inclusive Care

May 13, 2026

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Georgia Maria Vardalachaki, a medical student from the Medical University of Crete, Greece. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s […]

© WHO/Hedinn Halldorsson WHO Director-General Tedros and a health expert during operations involving the MV Hondius off Tenerife amid the hantavirus response.

Hantavirus-hit ship evacuation completed as quarantines begin

May 12, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The passengers and crew have disembarked from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius in Tenerife and many have returned to their home countries, as the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said the operation demonstrated a “triumph of solidarity”. The repatriation effort, coordinated by Spanish authorities with support […]

© NASA The Strait of Hormuz which separates the United Arab Emirates and Iran is a strategically important shipping route

Strait of Hormuz de-escalation is urgent, says UN chief

May 12, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. As the Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens and tensions between Iran and the United States remain unresolved, oil prices rose again early Monday, prompting the UN Secretary-General to call for a peaceful resolution and warn of the widening fallout across Africa and beyond. “My strong appeal is […]

Ukraine: Over 3,000 attacks on healthcare since full-scale Russian invasion

May 11, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified more than 3,000 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the UN agency reported on Friday. “During 1,534 days of war, Ukraine’s healthcare system has experienced repeated attacks,” it said. Every aspect of the system has been […]

WHO Passengers from MV Hondius assisted by Spanish and WHO health teams after disembarking.

Passengers leave hantavirus-hit cruise ship in Tenerife as WHO says outbreak ‘not another COVID’

May 11, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Passengers and crew from the cruise ship MV Hondius began disembarking in Tenerife on Sunday under a tightly coordinated international health operation led by Spanish authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO), as officials sought to reassure the public that the outbreak “is not another COVID.” The […]

Nuclear energy in the Middle East: A realistic choice or a risk?

May 11, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. As global electricity demand grows, so does the popularity of nuclear energy. In the Middle East, several countries are evaluating or advancing nuclear power projects, balancing weighty issues such as regional security, climatic conditions and international cooperation. “Nuclear energy is at the intersection of energy demands, technological […]

Bahrain and US float Security Council resolution on the Strait of Hormuz

May 8, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Bahrain and the United States have circulated a draft Security Council resolution calling for Iran to cease attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, their ambassadors outlined to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday. The text is supported by Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the […]

© CDC An enhanced microscopic image shows the Hantavirus.

Hantavirus outbreak: Another passenger contracts disease

May 7, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. It’s been confirmed that another passenger from the cruise liner linked to the outbreak of hantavirus has contracted the disease, which has claimed the lives of three people on board and sparked an international alert coordinated by the UN World Health Organization (WHO). The individual, who is […]

UN warns of worsening human rights crisis in Mali after deadly attacks

May 6, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The human rights situation in Mali is rapidly deteriorating following coordinated attacks by armed groups across the country, with civilians killed, displaced and cut off from food and aid, UN rights office OHCHR said on Tuesday. The violence, which erupted on 25 and 26 April, saw large-scale […]

© UNICEF A damaged ambulance in Tebnine in southern Lebanon.

In Lebanon, the same fears and dangers persist despite ceasefire: UNHCR

May 6, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Death and destruction have continued unabated in Lebanon while communities are still unable to return to their homes despite a ceasefire that began on 17 April, humanitarians said on Tuesday. “Civilians in the south of Lebanon and parts of the Bekaa [Valley] are really living with the […]

© Unsplash/Planet Volumes A computer-generated image shows the Strait of Hormuz.

Uncertainty continues over safety in the Strait of Hormuz

May 5, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Amid claims and counter-claims of strikes and confrontations in the crucial Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the United States, UN maritime officials continue to urge vessels to exercise “maximum caution”. “We are aware of the reports but do not have further details. We continue to urge […]