The announcement of a new European competition, designed to rival the Champions League, has sent blows to the football community, suggesting that the proposal threatens the time-honoured foundations of the game.
The game we love is in danger
David Beckham has hit out at the plans released for a new Super League formation, insisting: “the game we love is in danger.” The announcement of a new European competition, designed to rival the Champions League, has sent blows to the football community, suggesting that the proposal threatens the time-honoured foundations of the game. Beckham was among those who have spoken in opposition, reaching out to social media to release a rallying cry while outlining his belief that supporters will be the ones who will suffer the most if the Super League comes true. “I love football, and it has been my life for as long as I can remember,” the former England international wrote on Instagram.
Football is nothing without fans
“I loved it when I was a little kid as a supporter, and I’m still a fan now. As a football player and now as an owner, I know that football is nothing without fans. We need football for everyone. We need football to be honourable, and we need competitions based on quality. If we do not protect these values, the game we love is in danger”. A statement from those involved in creating the new competition confirmed that 12 founding teams have already signed up, including the Premier League’s traditional “Big Six.” Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Milan and Inter have also pledged to participate, and three more founding clubs are expected to be announced in due course.
Five more clubs will be included based on qualifying criteria. The league will be split into two groups of 10, with the first four being automatically progressing through to the knockout stage. Not all of the top clubs on the continent support the plans, although Porto has openly admitted declining invitations to compete. Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich have also released statements confirming they will not be involved. In contrast, French champions Paris Saint-Germain have yet to sign up or comment on the matter.