A League Of Their Own: Real & Atletico Confirm European Super League Participation
Both star Madrid teams, Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid have confirmed their participation in the proposed new European Super League.
The two Madrid teams join Barcelona to provide 3 Spanish top flight teams to the already 6 English and 3 Italian teams to join the break-away group.
Real Madrid´s president, Florentino Perez has been named as the ESL´s first chairman.
Indeed,Perez has been a prime mover of the new league and has long been a critic of the UEFA model, saying in 2009 “we have to agree a new European Super League which guarantees that the best always play the best – something that does not happen in the Champions League.” 
Under Perez’s plan, the continent’s best teams would remain part of their respective national systems, but would be guaranteed the opportunity to play each other at the conclusion of the regular league season.
The new league “will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world,” he said.
The ESL is incorporated in Spain as European Super League Company, S.L with the founding teams as 15 “permanent members” of the company and who have all media and sponsorship rights.
According to the ESL´s website the new league has the ” the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis,” and continues that “the pandemic has shown that a strategic vision and a sustainable commercial approach are required to enhance value and support for the benefit of the entire European football pyramid”.
The league is hoped to comprise 20 of Europe best clubs ( of which 15 are permanent and the remaining 5 based on league performance and relegation ) with a model closer in concept to American N.F.L. or N.B.A than the current ” open” model.
It represents an attempt for the most significant restructuring of the game on the continent since the 1950s.
One of the main inducements for the league appears to be financial.
By creating a new Super League, the top European clubs could make billions and by sidestepping the UEFA Champions League open tournament format, allows the 12 founding members to split an estimated 3.5 billion Euros by way of a “welcome bonus.”
The huge sum equates to over 300 million Euros per club – more than three times what the Champions League final winner took home last season.
The London based Financial Times reported that US investment bank, JP Morgan Chase will underwrite the deal with a 3.5 billion Euro “infrastructure grant”
The 12 founding teams are from England: Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham — from Spain: Atlético Madrid , Real Madrid and Barcelona and from Italy: Internazionale Milan, A.C. Milan and Juventus.
The president of UEFA, Aleksander Čeferin described the proposals for the European Super League as a “spit in the face of all football lovers”.
