European Super League: only the tip of the iceberg?

The European Super League (“ESL”) is the topic nowadays in sports law. Articles about the ESL are countless. Some authors analysed the anti-competitive effects of the decision of UEFA to block the ESL^[1], others took a deeper look in the future of the ESL^[2], and others were more focused on the conclusions of the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice^[3], as the latter published his conclusions on 15 December 2022.

In this article, the author will raise the question of whether the ESL is only the tip of the iceberg, i.e. whether the ESL was only an emanation of a problem that has been existing for years and years between the football clubs and the main football bodies, in this case UEFA.

It looks at:

• Breakaway leagues have been a long-term problem in football
• Conflict between the ESL & the European Sports Model
• The interests at hand
  • Interests of UEFA and of the major European clubs
  • Interests of the “smaller” European clubs
  • Same conflict of interests at domestic level
• Who is to blame for the breakaway league?
• Financial sustainability is the key to competitive stability in football
• Can the Super League still work without the Premier League big clubs?
• Conclusion