A NEW version of the breakaway Super League has been launched.
More than three years after the original idea crashed and burned in the space of 48 hours following a fan-led backlash, plan promoters A22 have returned with a concept that solves many of the initial problems.
Under the new model, called “The Unify League,” a total of 96 teams would participate.
There would be 16 teams, split into two groups of eight and playing each opponent home and away in both the top Star League and the secondary Gold League.
Then two more leagues – Blue and Union – would each have FOUR leagues of eight clubs.
The Premier League would have three guaranteed entrants into the elite competition, with two places in the second and up to five additional places for the remaining pair.
Unlike the first and much criticized Super League concept, which saw the 12 breakaway rebels – including the Prem Big Six – guaranteed entry, all positions will be earned through domestic performances in the previous campaign.
Two places in the Star League and seven in Gold are earned through a series of play-off rounds, with the winners of the two competitions automatically earning a place in the top tier for the following season.
A22 anticipates that the fourteen matches in the competition phase will be played between September and April.
The top four in each group would then reach a two-legged quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a “final four” week of one-off matches to determine the winners.
While no formal start date has been set, SunSport understands there is a tentative target for the competition to launch in September 2026.
Prize money is also yet to be confirmed, but A22 – who are firmly linked to the ambitions of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez – are promising £330 million in “solidarity payments” to smaller clubs and countries, while the total prize pool is expected to be greater than the current one. fund of £2 billion for the Champions League and £700 million for the Europa and Conference Leagues combined.
The new overall title of the four competitions is a nod to the plan to show matches on a direct-to-fan streaming service called the Unify platform.
Although fans will need to sign up, there will be two versions available: an ad-supported free portal to watch games, plus a subscription service with extra features.
A22 said it will “dramatically improve the home viewing experience by eliminating the need for multiple subscriptions, while providing fans with the advanced features they have come to expect and connecting clubs directly with their global fanbase”.
The launch comes as A22 said it had submitted a formal application to UEFA and FIFA to “obtain official recognition for its new cross-border European club football competitions”.
The Madrid-based company cited the European Court of Justice ruling of December 2023, which stated that “any competition where qualification is inclusive and meritocratic and which complies with the general competition calendar can be officially established”.
A22 representatives have been crisscrossing Europe to talk to clubs in the wake of the failure of the first project – with then Prime Minister Boris Johnson promising a “legislative bomb” to prevent English clubs from joining.
Measures to prevent clubs from entering breakaway competitions have been included as part of the government's new independent football regulator, which is currently going through parliament and is backed by all the major parties.
But the new league aims to replace UEFA and be governed by the clubs – in much the same way the Premier League was set up more than three decades ago.
A22 CEO Bernd Reichart said: “A22 is focused on ensuring the sustainable growth and development of football.
“Our extensive engagement with key stakeholders identified a number of pressing challenges facing the sport, including rising fan subscription costs, an overloaded player calendar, insufficient investment in women's football and dissatisfaction with the format and governance of the current pan- European competitions.
“Our proposal is intended to directly address these challenges.”
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