Officials from the failed European Super League are ready to seek a relaunch of the competition. The Financial Times reports that talks are currently underway. The league expects a new slate within the next three years.
Although the ESL failed almost immediately after its formation, there are still three major clubs that continue to operate at a corporate level. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are the only teams left from the original dozen that technically don’t back down in the ESL. And the trio have not given up hope of reviving the idea.
The project even hired a new boss. A22 Sports Management appointed Bernd Reichart, a sports and media executive, as CEO. The firm currently represents the ESL. Reichart’s tasks include resurrecting the competition with the goal of making both fans and clubs happy.
“We want to reach out to stakeholders in the European football community and expand this vision,” Reichart told the Financial Times. “Even the fans will have a lot of sympathy for the idea. It’s a blank slate. The format will never be an obstacle”.
The ESL originally planned to create a closed-structure competition to replace the UEFA Champions League. This essentially meant no relegation and no exits for clubs from the league. Officials claimed that the UCL consists of too many boring and pointless matches. Fans, however, overwhelmingly hated the idea.
Planned relaunch of the European Super League in the coming years
However, Reichart admitted that changes to the format would be necessary. “There is a reevaluation. There is a clearly stated move towards an open format and that permanent membership is off the table,” Reichart continued. “We want to see whether or not there is a broader consensus on the problems facing European football.”
Reichart didn’t exactly set a time frame for ESL; however, he stated that it would be “reasonable” to relaunch the competition during 2024 or 2025.
Despite acknowledging that adjustments to the format are needed, it still seems difficult to please all parties involved. The fans and UEFA have clearly made their voices heard. In fact, ESL and UEFA are currently in a legal battle over the matter.
ESL officials claim that UEFA overstepped the law when they helped block the formation of the competition. A formal decision on the situation may not be made until next spring.
