Revealed: When European Super League will start
FT Desk
- Updated: 19 Oct 2022 20:02 BST
- 3 min read
The much-maligned European Super League is still alive, with a preliminary starting date now mentioned for the prospective competition.
The world of football was rocked back in April 2021 when plans for the tournament were first officially announced.
Twelve top European sides were attached to the ESL at its conception, including six Premier League clubs, with a total of 20 ultimately slated for inclusion in the opening edition.
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Fierce opposition from fans and other football figures, though, caused the plan to fall into disarray almost immediately.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham subsequently confirmed they were withdrawing as founder members, while Atletico Madrid and Italian giants Milan and Inter made an identical decision upon seeing the backlash.
That leaves Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona as the sole remaining founders who have not abandoned the project, but the ESL has not folded.
When will the Super League begin?
A22 Sports Management is now on board to organise the new league, and its CEO Bern Reichart told the Financial Times that it is "reasonable" to imagine the Super League beginning in the 2024-25 season.
“I believe in an active and extended dialogue to create a sustainable sports model for European football," Reichart added in a statement published by A22 and Barcelona.
"We want to reach out to stakeholders in the European football community and broaden this vision. Even fans will have a lot of sympathy for the idea. It’s a blank slate. The format will never be an obstacle”
“There is a reassessment of the project. There is a clearly stated move towards an open format and permanent membership being off the table. We want to see whether or not there is a broader consensus on the problems facing European football.”
