Is the proposed European Super League just natural evolution?
Ninety years ago the national Spanish football league was created with clubs, who, up to that point were involved in regional championships where the victor and runner-up would progress to participate in the Cup, a knock-out competition which would dictate who would be proclaimed Spanish champion. The creation of the domestic national league, featuring initially a collection of regional champions or cup finalists was instrumental in forging a new era with the old regional championships eventually just disappearing. If we transform a regional league into a national league, a Spanish Cup into a European Cup (or Champions League) the Spanish league or that of any major nation for a European league, it does feel that we are again on the cusp of another era of transformation.
Closed shop
The big, big clubs are perusing this initiative on the quiet, they want a European Super League and an annual Club World Cup with the elite from around the planet which would include the middle or middle to high class clubs (the likes of your Valencias, Athletics and Sevillas) from each nation. For those clubs, a second tier type of Champions League is envisaged with four groups of eight with the eventual champion of each group securing a berth at the Club World Cup. For the remainder of the clubs, those further down this 'food-chain', life will go on but with bigger clubs fielding 'B teams' due to the fact that this potential Euro Super League will be a closed shop and this will impact on interest levels for domestic league competition.
Florentino Perez driven enterprise
This venture is being spearheaded by Florentino Perez with Bartomeu and Miguel Ángel Gil flanking the Real Madrid president who also has the support of clubs such as the aforementioned Sevilla, Valencia and Athletic with the new Minister for Sport Irene Lázaro, the individual who may have to pick up the pieces from the fall-out that this casts over the smaller clubs. Both Lozano and Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales will have their work cut out to protect the likes of the Real Betises (to name just one smaller club that I'm particularly fond of) of this world against the drive from Agnelli and Florentino Perez and I'm looking forward to seeing this trio of new Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez, Lozano and Luis Rubiales being called into action at some point.