Unify League: Celtic and Rangers on alert as new proposal submitted for breakaway European Super League

The original Super League was launched by 12 European clubs – including the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ – in April 2021 but quickly collapsed amid fan protests and opposition from the continental and global governing bodies. Now, promoters A22 want the rebranded Unify League to be given approval.

A22 felt UEFA had abused a dominant position in blocking the original competition’s formation in 2021, and took the matter to court. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled last December that the old authorisation rules used by UEFA to block the Super League were contrary to EU law. UEFA’s rules had been amended prior to the judgement being handed down, and it believes they are now compliant with EU law. The ECJ said that rules governing the authorisation of new competitions needed to be transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate, which A22 claimed as a victory.

Premier League clubs publicly distanced themselves from joining the Super League in the wake of the ECJ ruling, while Celtic and Rangers did likewise, each releasing statements reaffirming their allegience with UEFA this time last year. However, A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart said in April he had held direct conversations with top-flight English clubs since the ruling was handed down.

A22 said on Tuesday it had now modified the league’s qualification system so that it was based on annual domestic league performance. A22’s new proposal will feature four leagues with a total of 96 teams involved. Its letter to UEFA says over 200 clubs will qualify to the leagues either directly or for the competition play-offs from their domestic leagues each year.

It is confident the new competition complies with UEFA’s definition of the ‘European Sports Model’ because annual qualification depends on domestic league performance. The letter accused UEFA of subjecting A22 to “recurring, intense resistance” over the competition in the past.

“Now that the CJEU ruling has applied the law and fundamentally changed the governance standards in international club football, the era of conflict should be behind us and we are hopeful all parties can come together to work jointly for the good of the sport,” it stated.

A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart said in a media release: “Now is the time for all stakeholders, including UEFA and FIFA, to bring real innovation that prioritises fan experience and affordability, player welfare and match competitiveness.

“We remain committed to fostering relationships built on mutual respect, transparency, and constructive dialogue. The fans, players, clubs, leagues and other groups that make up the football community deserve nothing less.”

UEFA’s current authorisation rules set four tests which A22 must pass for the Unify League to be given approval, around administrative and financial, sporting and technical, ethical and sporting merit considerations.

The only clubs still actively and publicly backing the Super League project are Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has been one of Super League’s most staunch critics and his organisation said in a statement on Tuesday: “Once again, A22 has presented yet another model of the failed European Super League, now called Unify League.

“A project that threatens the governance of European football by seeking to follow a handful of big clubs for their own benefit, promoting a broadcast rights commercialisation model that would benefit only a few elitist clubs and destroy the economy of national leagues.

“The project continues to lack support from clubs, federations, players, fans, national governments and European institutions.”

The Premier League has not commented on A22’s announcement but is still thought to reject any concept that could weaken the open competitiveness created by promotion, relegation and equitable revenue distribution.

Sources close to the English top flight cited what they saw as limited details in A22’s new submission around which clubs were set to be involved and around financing, in contrast to UEFA’s club competitions and domestic leagues.