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In a statement outlining the preliminary
results of talks that A22 had with what it said was 50 European
clubs and stakeholders of football, the company said change was
necessary.
"The vast majority of them share the assessment that the very
foundation of European football is under threat, and it is time
for change," A22 said.
"Feedback suggests a European football league that is open,
based solely on sporting merit, multidivisional with 60 to 80
clubs and a minimum of 14 guaranteed European matches per club."
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus were among 12 clubs to
announce a breakaway Super League in April last year. But the
move collapsed within 48 hours after an outcry from fans,
governments and players forced Manchester United, Liverpool,
Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, AC Milan,
Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid to pull out.
That left only Real, Barcelona and Juventus as holdouts. The ESL
took its case to a Spanish court which subsequently sought
guidance from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the
European Union (CJEU).
"Our objective is to present a sustainable sporting project for
European club competitions available to, at a minimum, all 27 EU
Member States as soon as possible after receipt of the
judgment," Reichart said.
"The issues are clear, and action must be taken for the benefit
of fans, players, and clubs."
A22 said there were 10 principles that emerged from the
discussions, including improving competitiveness, financial
sustainability and fan experience.
At issue in the ongoing court case is whether European body UEFA
and global governing body FIFA statutes allowing them to block
rival events and bar clubs and players from taking part conform
with EU competition rules.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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