A new-look multi-divisional European Super League containing up to 80 teams would be an open competition with no permanent members, according to A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart.
The announcement comes after A22 – a sports management company formed to sponsor and help create a new Super League – held talks with over 50 clubs across Europe since October last year, developing 10 principles that would be the foundation for the new breakaway competition.
The original plans for the European Super League in 2021 contained a total of 20 teams including 12 founding members plus three unnamed clubs, and a further five teams who would qualify annually based on domestic achievements.
After widespread backlash from supporters, Premier League sides Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur all pulled out 48 hours after agreeing to join the breakaway league.
Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus also dropped out, while Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are still pushing for the competition to go ahead.
© Reuters
Now, A22 have proposed a new multi-divisional format containing between 60 and 80 clubs who would play a minimum of 14 games and would be required to qualify annually based on their domestic achievements.
Speaking to German newspaper Die Welt about the fresh plans, Reichart said: "The foundations of European football are in danger of collapsing.
"It's time for a change. It is the clubs that bear the entrepreneurial risk in football. But when important decisions are at stake, they are too often forced to sit idly by on the sidelines as the sporting and financial foundations crumble around them.
"Our talks have also made it clear that clubs often find it impossible to speak out publicly against a system that uses the threat of sanctions to thwart opposition.
"Our dialogue was open, honest, constructive and resulted in clear ideas about what changes are needed and how they could be implemented. There is a lot to do and we will continue our dialogue."
Reichart believes that the guarantee of a minimum of 14 matches for each club would provide "stability and predictability" of revenue.
In addition, the 48-year-old has revealed plans for cost control measures and states that clubs should only spend a fixed percentage of their annual football-related revenue on net transfers and player salaries.
"Club spending must be based solely on the funds generated and not on competitively distorting capital injections," said Reichart.
La Superliga es el lobo, que hoy se disfraza de abuelita para intentar engañar al fútbol europeo, pero SU nariz y SUS dientes son muy grandes, ¿cuatro divisiones en europa? Claro la primera para ellos, como en la reforma de 2019.¿Gobierno de los clubes? Claro solo de los grandes pic.twitter.com/y0IQmLzS6W
— Javier Tebas Medrano (@Tebasjavier) February 9, 2023
The new European Super League proposals have since been strongly criticised by La Liga president Javier Tebas, who has compared the fresh plans with the wolf in the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
"The Super League is the wolf, who today disguises himself as a granny to try to fool European football, but his nose and his teeth are very big," Tebas posted on Twitter.
"Four divisions in Europe? Of course the [top division] for them [the founding clubs], as in the 2019 plan. Governance of the clubs? Of course only from the big ones."
A22 has challenged UEFA and FIFA's right to block the European Super League's formation and sanction the competing clubs in the courts.
The European Court of Justice is expected to give its final ruling in the case in the spring.
Oliver Thomas
