European Super League: How Will It Affect Football?

Forum 2 years ago

European Super League: How Will It Affect Football?

For most football fans out there, the news about a dozen big European clubs breaking away from the crowd and forming their own Super League was quite unexpected. For others more closely watching what happens in the background of the sport, perhaps it wasn’t such an unexpected move, considering that there were attempts to create a parallel tournament for the highest-profile football clubs in Europe for more than a decade. 

The introduction of a new Super League would mean more matches played by some of the biggest football teams in the world, more Superbet to be covered by the media and the bookmakers, way more betting opportunities for Betway users with perhaps less predictable outcomes, which makes the overall experience much more exciting. But the effects of a Super League would go way beyond just that.

More revenues for the clubs

One of the reasons why the clubs involved would like to form their own Super League is the revenue - expected to be way higher than their current purse.

The 12 founding clubs, along with the further 8 clubs said to join the tournament, would share a pot of around $4.2 billion, an “infrastructure grant” offered by various investors like JP Morgan Chase, among others.

Another revenue stream for the participating clubs would be the selling of media rights. The UEFA currently pockets around $2.4 billion from this each year, with each club receiving between $30 and $144 million. The new deal for the Super League could easily exceed that, with some sources saying that the figure could be double or even triple.

More high-profile signings - and matches

When one earns more, they spend more - this is true for individuals as well as football clubs. With more money in their pockets, clubs could sign higher-profile players and improve their performance on the turf - this, of course, would also mean higher-quality football, which would, of course, benefit the fans as well. 

And this would also mean high-profile, high-stakes matches with outcomes that are way less predictable. When one of the ‘big six’ European teams end up in a group with underdogs, the excitement dwindles - there’s not much to be proud of in a series of easy victories. If the European Super League actually comes into existence, there won’t be any predictable matches - this once again means quality football to follow.

Derbies may disappear

Then again, not all of the effects would be positive. For one, decades-old derbies could disappear in an instant, especially if the UEFA and FIFA go through with their threats of banning any ESL player from national and international tournaments.

If, for example, Liverpool decides to play in the ESL, it may not have a chance to meet Everton again in the Merseyside derby. And the list could go on. But then again, these derbies usually only matter to local fans - with the ESL, the aim is to please a much bigger international audience with up-and-coming fan bases all over the world.