The president of Barcelona Joan Laporta, who is keen on the Super League project has named the 15 clubs that are “ready” to join the league.
Laporta is hopeful that the league can begin fully next season, and this information is coming after A22 management co-founder Anas Laghrari recently claimed that 20 European teams had agreed to join the breakaway tournament.
This new move is also coming to the fore, following a ruling from the European Court of Justice, which found that UEFA and FIFA had acted against competition laws, all in an effort to halt the European Super League from seeing the light of the day.
However, Joan Laporta has revealed 15 clubs are apparently keen on the project, and speaking on Catalan radio station RAC 1 he claimed that the competition “may exist next season or 2025-26.”
The Spaniard also added that “UEFA is also interested in keeping Barça in the ECA (Association of European Clubs).” despite their admittance to join the ESL.
The new format, which was revealed by A22 CEO Bernd Reichart, was brushed aside by several teams in the Premier League, including Manchester United.
Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur also reiterated their desire to remain in UEFA competitions.
Bayern Munich also snubbed the European Super League initiative and distanced themselves from it.
Laporta also spoke about the non-participation of English clubs in the Super League, saying: “Whether or not the English come, I don't care.
“They already have a Superliga with the Premier League.”
Based on reports from RAC 1, Joan Laporta apparently believes that the clubs ready to play in the Super League would make the tournament strong enough to challenge the Premier League.
Subsequently, the 61-year-old shared the teams that could be participating in the new competition.
He said: “In addition to Barca and Madrid, there would be the Italians: Inter, Milan, Napoli and Roma.
“Also French teams such as Olympique de Marseille, and the three Portuguese, Sporting, Benfica and Porto, who would be delighted to come.
“And there are the Dutch teams (Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV) and Bruges and Anderlecht from Belgium. A 16-team competition would be better.”
He also expressed that every team in the La Liga are willing to be a part of the European Super League except Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.
Clubs “ready to join” the European Super League, according to Joan Laporta.
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Inter Milan
AC Milan
Napoli
Roma
Marseille
Sporting Lisbon
Benfica
Porto
Ajax
Feyenoord
PSV
Club Brugge
Anderlecht
Anyway, Joan Laporta's side have had a woeful 2023/24 season, which has seen them crash out of the Copa del Rey alongside losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Real Madrid in January 2024.
Barcelona also sit 4th on the La Liga table with 44 points from 21 matches, 11 points away from league leaders Girona, who have amassed 55 points from 22 matches this campaign.
They have the opportunity to smile through the UEFA Champions League, with Xavi Hernandez's side drawn to face Napoli in the Round of 16.
Despite his side having a chance to win a trophy this campaign through the competition, Laporta is infuriated with the governing body of European football, UEFA.
He said: “The players, the agents, UEFA, and the state clubs are getting rich, they are playing wherever they want, while the clubs are ruining us. We are not getting enough, from Europe's top competition.”
The set-to-be-launched European Super League will also have a promotion and relegation system across the table and a women's competition is also expected to be created.
For the men's competition, there will be three leagues ranked as star, gold, and blue.
The star league will reportedly be the strongest, while the blue league is expected to house the weakest teams.
The gold and star leagues will include 16 teams separated into two sections of eight while the blue league will have 32 clubs divided into four groups of eight.
The teams in the leagues are expected to play a minimum of 14 matches, playing against their opponents in home and away format during midweek.
The top four teams from the gold and Star leagues will then progress to the knockout stages of the competition, with one winner expected to emerge after the quarter-final, semi-final, and final have been played.
Anas Laghrari, the A22 co-founder has in the past stated that several clubs had shown interest in joining the European Super League but he wouldn't want to “expose” them.
Laghrari in an interview with French media outlet Ouest-France said: “I don't want to say their names because I don't want to expose them.
“Since December 21, we have spoken with around 50 different clubs. About 20 of them are very, very motivated by the project. We already have enough clubs to start a competition.”
As aforementioned, the European Super League is expected to be launched in the 2024/25 season and it will be interesting to see how the power tussle between UEFA and administrators of the ESL unfolds.
Laporta is hopeful that the league can begin fully next season, and this information is coming after A22 management co-founder Anas Laghrari recently claimed that 20 European teams had agreed to join the breakaway tournament.
This new move is also coming to the fore, following a ruling from the European Court of Justice, which found that UEFA and FIFA had acted against competition laws, all in an effort to halt the European Super League from seeing the light of the day.
However, Joan Laporta has revealed 15 clubs are apparently keen on the project, and speaking on Catalan radio station RAC 1 he claimed that the competition “may exist next season or 2025-26.”
The Spaniard also added that “UEFA is also interested in keeping Barça in the ECA (Association of European Clubs).” despite their admittance to join the ESL.
The new format, which was revealed by A22 CEO Bernd Reichart, was brushed aside by several teams in the Premier League, including Manchester United.
Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur also reiterated their desire to remain in UEFA competitions.
Bayern Munich also snubbed the European Super League initiative and distanced themselves from it.
Laporta also spoke about the non-participation of English clubs in the Super League, saying: “Whether or not the English come, I don't care.
“They already have a Superliga with the Premier League.”
Based on reports from RAC 1, Joan Laporta apparently believes that the clubs ready to play in the Super League would make the tournament strong enough to challenge the Premier League.
Subsequently, the 61-year-old shared the teams that could be participating in the new competition.
He said: “In addition to Barca and Madrid, there would be the Italians: Inter, Milan, Napoli and Roma.
“Also French teams such as Olympique de Marseille, and the three Portuguese, Sporting, Benfica and Porto, who would be delighted to come.
“And there are the Dutch teams (Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV) and Bruges and Anderlecht from Belgium. A 16-team competition would be better.”
He also expressed that every team in the La Liga are willing to be a part of the European Super League except Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.
Clubs “ready to join” the European Super League, according to Joan Laporta.
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Inter Milan
AC Milan
Napoli
Roma
Marseille
Sporting Lisbon
Benfica
Porto
Ajax
Feyenoord
PSV
Club Brugge
Anderlecht
Anyway, Joan Laporta's side have had a woeful 2023/24 season, which has seen them crash out of the Copa del Rey alongside losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Real Madrid in January 2024.
Barcelona also sit 4th on the La Liga table with 44 points from 21 matches, 11 points away from league leaders Girona, who have amassed 55 points from 22 matches this campaign.
They have the opportunity to smile through the UEFA Champions League, with Xavi Hernandez's side drawn to face Napoli in the Round of 16.
Despite his side having a chance to win a trophy this campaign through the competition, Laporta is infuriated with the governing body of European football, UEFA.
He said: “The players, the agents, UEFA, and the state clubs are getting rich, they are playing wherever they want, while the clubs are ruining us. We are not getting enough, from Europe's top competition.”
The set-to-be-launched European Super League will also have a promotion and relegation system across the table and a women's competition is also expected to be created.
For the men's competition, there will be three leagues ranked as star, gold, and blue.
The star league will reportedly be the strongest, while the blue league is expected to house the weakest teams.
The gold and star leagues will include 16 teams separated into two sections of eight while the blue league will have 32 clubs divided into four groups of eight.
The teams in the leagues are expected to play a minimum of 14 matches, playing against their opponents in home and away format during midweek.
The top four teams from the gold and Star leagues will then progress to the knockout stages of the competition, with one winner expected to emerge after the quarter-final, semi-final, and final have been played.
Anas Laghrari, the A22 co-founder has in the past stated that several clubs had shown interest in joining the European Super League but he wouldn't want to “expose” them.
Laghrari in an interview with French media outlet Ouest-France said: “I don't want to say their names because I don't want to expose them.
“Since December 21, we have spoken with around 50 different clubs. About 20 of them are very, very motivated by the project. We already have enough clubs to start a competition.”
As aforementioned, the European Super League is expected to be launched in the 2024/25 season and it will be interesting to see how the power tussle between UEFA and administrators of the ESL unfolds.