The controversial European Super League is back, but this time with a new name and revised format. A22 Sports, the company promoting the breakaway competition, has submitted a proposal to UEFA and FIFA requesting official recognition for their “Unify League” – a 96-team, multi-tier pan-European club football tournament.
This move comes on the heels of a landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice in December 2023, which found that UEFA and FIFA had been “abusing a dominant position” in their governance of club competitions. The court called their rules governing new formats “arbitrary” and argued that any meritocratic, inclusive competition should be allowed to exist alongside the established tournaments.
Revised Format and Qualification Process
Learning from the backlash against their initial closed-shop proposal in 2021, A22 Sports has made significant changes to the Unify League’s structure and qualification criteria. The new format features promotion and relegation between the multiple tiers, with clubs earning their places based on annual domestic league performance.
According to inside sources, the revamped competition would consist of:
- A three-league, 64-team men’s competition
- A two-league, 32-team women’s competition
These would effectively replace the current UEFA Champions League and Women’s Champions League. By tying qualification to domestic results, A22 Sports aims to create a more open and accessible tournament that still attracts Europe’s top clubs.
Addressing Football’s Challenges
In launching their proposal, A22 Sports CEO Bernd Reichart highlighted several pressing issues facing the sport that the Unify League aims to tackle:
- Rising subscription costs for fans
- Overloaded player calendars
- Insufficient investment in women’s football
- Dissatisfaction with current European competitions
“Our proposal is designed to directly address these challenges,” Reichart stated. “We’ve consulted extensively with clubs, leagues, and other stakeholders to create a format that benefits everyone in the football ecosystem.”
Free-to-Air Streaming Model
In a bid to make the Unify League more accessible and affordable for fans, A22 Sports plans to broadcast matches on a new streaming service called Unify. Notably, this platform will offer a free-to-air model supported by advertising revenue, potentially opening up top-level European football to a wider audience than ever before.
The decision to brand the competition as the “Unify League” reflects this inclusive ethos, with A22 Sports hoping to bring together clubs, fans, and stakeholders from across the continent under one banner.
Opposition Remains Fierce
Despite the revised format and concessions to critics, the Unify League still faces widespread opposition from the football establishment. Immediately following the ECJ ruling in December, the Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A, and several top clubs and organizations reiterated their staunch rejection of any breakaway competition.
“We remain committed to the current model of European club football and the competitions organized by UEFA,” read a joint statement from the leagues. “The Super League, in any form, would irreparably damage the entire football ecosystem.”
UEFA and FIFA have also maintained their hostility towards the project, arguing that recent reforms to the Champions League and other competitions have ensured compliance with EU law. It remains to be seen whether they will be compelled to recognize the Unify League’s legitimacy in light of the court ruling.
A Battle for Football’s Future
As A22 Sports pushes forward with its Unify League proposal, the battle lines have been drawn for a defining struggle over the future of European club football. With billions of euros in revenue at stake and the very structure of the sport hanging in the balance, all eyes will be on UEFA and FIFA’s response to this renewed challenge to their authority.
Can the Unify League succeed where the European Super League failed, winning over skeptical fans and stakeholders with its more inclusive format? Or will the football establishment close ranks once again to protect the status quo?
One thing is certain: the coming months and years will shape the trajectory of the world’s most popular sport for decades to come, as traditional powerbrokers and would-be disruptors clash in a high-stakes contest for the soul of the beautiful game.
