The European Super League is back with a new format and new name as it bids to challenge – and potentially replace – the Champions League.
Three years after the controversial breakaway competition was launched, slapped down by a fan backlash and ultimately abandoned within 48 hours promoters A22 have rejigged the competition to try and appease doubters. According to The Telegraph, under the new ‘The Unify League‘ a total of 96 teams would take part. There would be 16 teams, split into two groups of eight and playing each opponent home and away, in both the top tier Star League and the secondary Gold League.
Two further competitions – Blue and Union – would each have four leagues of eight clubs. The Premier League would have three guaranteed entrants in the elite competition, with two places in the second one and up to five further slots across the remaining pair.
Unlike the first and widely panned Super League concept, which saw the 12 breakaway rebels – including the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus,Manchester United and Liverpool – guaranteed entry, all positions will be earned by domestic performances in the previous campaign. Two places in the Star League, and seven in Gold, will be earned through a series of play-off rounds, with the winners of the two competitions earning automatic places in the top tier for the following season.
A22 envisages the 14 league phase games being played between September and April. The top four in each group would then reach a two-legged quarter-final stage, with the winners progressing to a “final four” week of one-off matches to provide the winners. Reports have suggested a provisional start date in September 2026.
The prize fund is also yet to be confirmed but A22 – which is firmly linked to the ambitions of Real Madrid President Florentino Perez – promise £330m in “solidarity” payments to smaller clubs and countries while the total prize pot is expected to exceed the current fund of £2bn for the Champions League and £700m for the Europa and Conference Leagues combined.
The new overall title of the four competitions is a nod to the plan to show matches on a direct-to-fan streaming service called the Unify platform. While fans will have to sign up, there will be two versions available – an advertisement-supported free portal to watch games plus a subscription service with extra features. The launch comes as A22, based in Madrid, said it had made a formal submission to UEFA and FIFA to “obtain official recognition for its new cross-border European club football competitions”.
Just 12 months ago football fans were left fearing the maligned European Super League was going to return following a sensational ruling by the European Court of Justice. The court determined FIFA and UEFA acted against competition law when they blocked the formation of a European Super League in 2021. Spearheaded by Florentino Perez, the club has spelled out their commitment to a restructuring of the Champions League in which the clubs not UEFA are in control – essentially a European Super League 2.0.
A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart said: “A22 is focused on ensuring the sustainable growth and development of football. Our extensive engagement with key stakeholders revealed a number of pressing challenges facing the sport including increasing subscription costs for fans, an overloaded player calendar, insufficient investment in women’s football, and dissatisfaction with the format and governance of the current pan-European competitions. Our proposal is designed to directly address these challenges.”