UEFA has decided to take severe action against 12 clubs that decided to start a breakaway European Super League in April. The fans around the world, players, and coaches were quite disappointed after some of the elites took part in this league and the boards of these clubs apologized to all the concerned people. Nine clubs are definitely sticking with UCL for next season, but three major clubs could face sanctions from UEFA.
While nine clubs have withdrawn from the tournament, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Juventus are yet to abandon the idea. Since they are not part of UEFA’s ‘reintegration methods’, they could face disciplinary actions. These three clubs could even be slapped with a harsh punishment where they could be banned from Champions League for two years.
The European Super League’s fate came to an end three weeks ago as English clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham decided to withdraw from the tournament within 48 hours after a huge backlash. Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, and Inter Milan also decided to follow the English clubs. They also officially signed up a settlement with UEFA which asks them to only be a part of the existing competition and to get separated from a new one.
Sanctions for the other nine clubs
The Big Six English clubs along with Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan have agreed to pay a combined of £15 million, which will go for the development of grassroots of football in Europe. They have also been told that 5% of the revenue incurred by these clubs next season would go to UEFA. Moreover, if they decide to break away from UCL in the future then they would need to pay £100 million each or £50 million if they breach any commitments or rules to UEFA which are part of this deal.
The UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin mentioned “The measures announced are significant, but none of the financial penalties will be retained by UEFA, they will all be reinvested into youth and grassroots football in local communities across Europe, including the UK. These clubs recognised their mistakes quickly and have taken action to demonstrate their contrition and future commitment to European football.”
A season without Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus cannot be imagined. The Spanish clubs have enjoyed a lot of success in UCL, while Juventus has been a strong competitor for years. All three clubs released a statement on Saturday to reiterate their stance of sticking with the Super League despite the possibility of facing strict sanctions from UEFA.