Twelve leading clubs on Sunday (April 18), including Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid, announced the formation of new competition, the European Super League (ESL). The newly formed league will be a midweek tournament that is likely to be a direct competitor for the UEFA Champions League. Unsurprisingly, the participants earned criticism from several areas of the game as domestic leagues, UEFA and FIFA condemning the formation of the new elite competition. The implementation of ESL would be the major shake-up in the history of the European game with the included clubs earning a large chunk of money through various deals. Meanwhile, here's all you need to know about the newly introduced European Super League. What is European Super League? Know About the Competition Format, Clubs Participating and Other Important Details.

What Is The European Super League?

Twelve of Europe’s leading clubs – AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur – have agreed to form their own midweek competition which is likely to rival the UEFA Champions League. Additional three teams are set to be announced in few weeks.

Is The European Super League Happening?

All the participating 12 members have released an official statement that they have agreed on establishing the new league. However, governing footballing bodies such as FIFA and UEFA have opposed the decision, threatening to ban the participating teams from continental competitions. The 12 ‘Founding Clubs’ have given the ‘elite’ competition a go-ahead but it could change once UEFA announces its final stance on the punishment, if possible, for the above teams.

Why Is The European Super League Bad?

The competition will see the 15 teams face each other every weak with no fear of relegation and no opportunities for outside clubs to qualify for the tournament. This will see all the revenue earned from the event being distributed among the clubs in the Super League, extending the gap between the rich and poor teams even further.

When Will European Super League Start?

There is no date fixed for the start of the new cash-rich tournament, however, the clubs have said in their statement that they were looking to start the competition in August.

Who Is Behind European Super League?

A total of 12 self-proclaimed ‘elite’ teams announced the formation of a new competition that will include 15 top clubs from Europe. AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur are already in the competition with three new teams set to be revealed later.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 19, 2021 11:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).