The creation of a European Super League has been a rumor for a while. However, according to Football Leaks, talks of its establishment are further ahead than initially thought.
The whistle-blowing outlet writes that a number of the continent's biggest clubs have held secret discussions about a breakaway league. The bombshell, which was made public by Der Spiegel, states that this new tournament could be started as early as 2021.
This report claims that the negotiations were held behind the backs of both UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA), which represents the interests of more than 200 clubs. The man who is allegedly orchestrating everything is none other than Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the chairman of ECA.
Football Leaks states that they have seen documents backing up their claim, with 11 European elites being named as the "founders". They are Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool as well as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG, AC Milan, and Juventus.
The option that those aforementioned clubs have been exploring is leaving their national leagues and football associations altogether in order to establish this new competition. They would be exempt from relegation, unlike in their current leagues, and would also be guaranteed 20 years of membership.
Five teams have also been named as initial guests for the European Super League. They are Roma, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Marseille.
Bayern Munich has reportedly been looking into the legal ramifications of leaving their domestic league ahead of signing a "binding team sheet" alongside the other 10 founders. However, the German giant has publicly denied these accusations.
"FC Bayern Munich stands by its membership of the Bundesliga and, as long as I am chairman of the board of FC Bayern, also by the club competitions organized jointly by UEFA and the ECA," Rummenigge said in an official statement.
"FC Bayern is also unaware of recent plans for a so-called Super League, also reported by 'Der Spiegel', nor has FC Bayern taken part in negotiations relating to such plans. FC Bayern is also unaware of why it is listed in a document quoted in this context by 'Der Spiegel'."
