soccer
The European Super League warns of the Premier League threat
According to the Times, European clubs have received a letter warning of the dangers of the Premier League’s sky-high spending and oligarch owners
European clubs have received a letter from the drivers of the European Super League warning of the danger now posed to them by the English Premier League. According to information obtained by The Times, the strength of the Premier League is considered a risk to football’s future well-being. Its unmatched economic power “is outgunning all other continental leagues ” and the Champions League “has become increasingly dominated by English clubs backed by hedge funds, public investment funds, sheikhs and oligarchs.”
Just a few days after A22 Sports Management, the company supporting the Super League project, announced the appointment of Bernd Reichart as their new CEO, the Premier League has come under criticism in the internal report The Times was able to access. “The English Premier League (EPL) is becoming a global Super League and is exceeding the combined net transfer spend of its continental rivals. This summer, EPL clubs spent €2.25bn, more than LaLiga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 combined. Newly promoted Nottingham Forest’s net spend of €160m was more than the total of Serie A, LaLiga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 (a total of 78 clubs) combined. The English Premier League offers salaries almost double that of its next continental rival,” says the letter.
It continues: “In addition to television income, the six big English clubs are owned by billionaire investors or state funds. The Champions League is no longer a truly open European tournament. It is increasingly dominated by English clubs and the few continental clubs trying to keep up are exceptions. Two of the last four finals have been contested between English clubs and only Real Madrid avoided a third one in June. In the last five years, approximately 75% of the Champions League semi-finalists have been from England, with the exceptions of PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern from the other continental leagues”.
Currently in the midst of a legal battle in which the European Super League is accusing UEFA of monopolizing the organization of competitions, the Premier League now finds itself at the centre of the ESL’s complaints. It must be remembered that the six English clubs who were founders of the Super League resigned from the project the following day due to political and social pressure. In fact, they have had to sign an agreement that would result in their expulsion from the Premier League if they joined a new competition outside its rules.