A NEW ATTEMPT AFTER THE ECJ RULING:
On Tuesday, A22 Sports, which promotes the Super League, sent a new proposal to UEFA and FIFA for its updated European football competition. This comes after a significant ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in December 2023, which found that UEFA and FIFA unfairly blocked new tournament formats.
This ruling was a key moment for A22 Sports, reviving their goal to change European football after their first attempt in April 2021 failed badly. The first Super League plan, supported by 12 top clubs, quickly fell apart due to strong pushback from fans, local leagues, and governments, especially in the UK.
THE NEW PROPOSAL: INTRODUCING THE ‘UNIFY LEAGUE’
A22 Sports announced a new version of its competition called the “Unify League.” They say the name represents their goal to bring European football together in a fair way. The proposal aims to fix important issues in the sport, such as:
– Rising costs for fans to watch matches
– Busy schedules for players
– Lack of investment in women’s football
– General unhappiness with UEFA’s rules and tournaments
Bernd Reichart, CEO of A22 Sports, stressed the need to work with fans, clubs, and players:
“Our plan addresses the problems raised by everyone involved. We want to create a tournament that improves competition and access.”
COMPETITION STRUCTURE: 96 TEAMS IN FOUR LEVELS
A22’s new plan includes a 96-team men’s competition split into four leagues:
1. Star League – The top league with 16 clubs in two groups of eight.
2. Gold League – Also with 16 clubs in two groups of eight.
3. Blue League – 32 clubs divided into four groups of eight.
4. Union League – Another 32 clubs in four groups of eight.
This new structure allows for promotion and relegation based on how teams perform in their local leagues, unlike the first Super League, which kept certain teams permanently in place.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT: GROUP AND KNOCKOUT STAGES
The Unify League will have both group and knockout matches:
Group Stage: Teams will play matches at home and away against others in their group.
KnockoutRoundS: The best teams move on to the knockout rounds, leading to semifinals and a final.
A unique feature is that semifinals and the final will be single matches at neutral places, designed to create exciting events for fans.
Matches will be held midweek to avoid clashes with local leagues, addressing one of the main criticisms of the 2021 Super League.
A FOCUS ON ACCESSIBILITY: FREE STREAMING FOR FANS
A22’s plan includes a new way to watch matches, aiming to reduce and eventually remove rising costs. They will create a streaming platform called Unify, offering free broadcasts of matches funded by ads.
This move aims to solve the frustration fans feel over expensive and complicated broadcasting options. By making matches free, A22 hopes to gain support from those skeptical of the Super League.
OPPOSITION REMAINS: DOMESTIC LEAGUES PUSH BACK
Even with A22’s new plan, many still oppose it.
Javier Tebas, president of, openly rejected the proposal, saying it was created without careful thought about its effects on competitions.
Tebas and others worry that pulling top clubs into a separate league could harm domestic leagues, which need revenue from these top teams.
UEFA has not yet responded to A22’s new proposal, but its commitment to the Champions League suggests it will continue to resist new tournament ideas.
A LEGAL FOUNDATION: THE ECJ RULING
The December 2023 ECJ ruling supports A22 Sports, stating that UEFA and FIFA’s actions to stop new competitions broke EU laws. This ruling means that new competitions can’t be blocked as long as they are fair and fit within the football calendar.
A22 believes this ruling allows them to move forward with the Unify League, claiming it meets legal and competitive standards.
While A22 Sports has tried to fix the mistakes of the original Super League, the football world is still divided. Supporters think the Unify League brings needed changes, like fair participation and free broadcasting.
Whether the Unify League succeeds will depend on UEFA’s reaction and if European clubs want to join.
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