European Super League
| Organising bodies | A22 Sports Management S.L. and Florentino Pérez |
|---|---|
| Founded | 18 April 2021 (proposal) |
| Region | Europe |
| Number of teams | 2 - Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona |
| Television broadcasters | Unify Platform |
| Motto | "One For All" |
| Website | a22sports.com |
The Unify League (UL), previously known as the European Super League (ESL), was a proposed seasonal football competition for clubs in Europe. It was supposed to be organised by the European Super League Company, S.L., a commercial enterprise created to rival or replace the UEFA Champions League. The initial iteration of the league entailed 20 teams, with 15 of them being founding members of the competition.
The leadership behind the UL is Florentino Pérez (president of Real Madrid). The other founders, Andrea Agnelli (chairman of Juventus), Joel Glazer (co-owner of Manchester United), John W. Henry (owner of Liverpool) and Stan Kroenke (owner of Arsenal), withdrew shortly thereafter in the face of rejection by their clubs. By 2023, Pérez and Joan Laporta (president of Barcelona) remained the strongest advocates of the UL.
The European Super League announcement in April 2021 was met with significant opposition from various groups: fans, players, managers and football clubs. The league also faced opposition from UEFA, FIFA and some national governments. Critics of the league raised concerns regarding potential exclusivity and reduced competitiveness within the ESL, as the league would consist of high-ranking teams from selected European countries who would be permanent contestants in a semi-closed league format.
The backlash against the announcement of the league's plans resulted in nine of the clubs that were supposed to participate, including all six English clubs, announcing their intention to withdraw. However, eight clubs maintain a degree of involvement in the project as stakeholders. In April 2021, the ESL announced that it was suspending its operations, and a legal dispute followed. National courts have ruled that FIFA and UEFA must not interfere with the development of the ESL.
In October 2022, A22 Sports Management, a company formed to "sponsor and assist" in the creation of the European Super League, announced it would be exploring plans to relaunch the competition. On 21 December 2023, the European Court of Justice issued a ruling that a ban on the ESL could be in conflict with certain European Union regulations.