Even though fan backlash meant that a proposed European Super League (ESL) did not come to fruition nearly two years ago, talk of a reformed Super League has never completely gone away.
April 2021 saw a collection of some of Europe’s biggest clubs come together and attempt to break away from their domestic leagues, as well as the Champions League, and look to introduce a new ESL.
However, after thousands of fans all across the continent took to the streets in protest, clubs were forced to ditch their plans and make a dramatic U-turn.
That could all be set to change again though. Talk of an ESL has been reignited in recent weeks, including Real Madrid superstar Toni Kross, who, as quoted by the Daily Mail, recently said: “I think it will take a while to put it into place and I probably won’t see it as an active player.
“My opinion is that I continue to believe it will happen, but I cannot say when.”
Reacting to recent speculation that an ESL could come back around, super-agent Jon Smith, who was integral to the founding of the Premier League back in 1992, believes Europe’s biggest leagues will want to use an ESL as a way to ‘wrestle’ the power back from the Premier League.
“I have also noticed that talk of a European Super League (ESL) has recently made a comeback,” Smith said in an exclusive interview.
“The interesting thing about the prospect of an ESL is that an ESL is the only way European football can possibly wrestle the high ground back from England’s Premier League.”
Going on to address why the forming of an ESL will not be straightforward and why banks may not want to be involved, Smith said: “I just don’t know if an ESL would work. There just doesn’t seem to be the desire there. Aside from the fans themselves, take the Lazio’s of this world, for example, why on earth would they want to break up Serie A?
“I am also not convinced the big banks, the real big players, such as JP Morgan, considering the backlash they received last time, will want to back this horse again – certainly not anytime soon anyway.”