If you follow European soccer, you’ll remember the Super League concept that was floated in April 2021. Involving twelve teams taken from England, Spain and Italy, the league was intended to ensure maximum income for its participants. As a nod to the likely fury of non-participants, the organisers behind the concept promised that the competition would provide increased revenue for teams outside of its closed circuit. They never explained how, and fan fury led to the concept being unceremoniously killed.
Until now! The people behind the initial idea have gone back to the drawing board, and have come back with a new idea. Super League 2.0 will have 60 teams. Or maybe 80. But it will have no permanent members. The teams involved will still play in their domestic leagues. You’ll still be able to bet on Manchester City to win the Premier League at in2bet.com.cy as well as the Super League. And nobody will be shut off from potential qualification, and the riches it provides. Or so we hear: nothing has really been placed on the table in terms of a concrete plan.
What do we know about the new and improved Super League?
It will be quite big, in terms of the number of teams involved. In truth, one of the worrying things about the league as announced so far is how vague the “plans” are. There might be as many as 80 teams in it. What would be the format for this 80-team tournament? It’s not clear. Will it be divided into conferences – and if so, how? Geographically? By ranking? No-one is saying. It’s a little strange, really – if the people who announced a universally unpopular plan nearly 24 months ago want people to get behind their new plan, wouldn’t it be a good idea to actually come with details?
Does it address the issues that existed before?
If the organisers are as good as their word – and the league will not be a closed shop, and more than just a few elite clubs can participate – then yes, some of the issues are addressed. A major element of the initial Super League was that it was planned to be fairer to clubs, who weren’t happy with their share of revenue from UEFA’s competitions. That explanation wasn’t well received by any club outside the group of twelve, considering that these were the clubs with some of the highest incomes in Europe. No-one is shedding a tear for teams owned by a literal royal family over their loss of revenue. It’s hard to see how the new competition won’t create a situation of haves and have-nots all over again, but with more haves.
Will it guarantee revenues for other clubs?
So goes the claim, but there are so few details that the guarantee goes no further than “Dude, trust me”. The competition will be qualified for, based on football performance – which sounds like the Champions League. It will have eighty participants, or sixty, but we don’t know how that will be divided up. Perhaps most importantly, we don’t know what the organisers believe the revenues will be, nor how those would be split and paid down the European football pyramid. In terms of the new Super League and its improved plan, it’s all very much a case of “believe it when you see it”.