'Self-serving' Super League opens unprecedented conflict in European football

Leeds United's players wore t-shirts saying "Football is for the fans" ahead of Monday's Premier League clash with Liverpool

Plans for a Super League announced by 12 of European football's most powerful clubs plunged the game into an unprecedented crisis on Monday as the UK government threatened to invoke competition law to block a breakaway.

Six Premier League teams -- Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur -- joined forces with Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid as well as Italian trio Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan to launch the competition.

The competition threatens to completely upturn the world's biggest sport and leaves the prestigious Champions League -- itself the fruit of the last major shake-up in European football in 1992 -- facing an uncertain future.

"We will put everything on the table to prevent this from happening," the minister said, vowing a "very robust response".

- Champions League reform -

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin lashed out at the breakaway plan, calling it a "disgraceful self-serving proposal from a select few clubs purely fuelled by greed".

However, organisers of the Super League said they would file a motion "before the relevant courts" to stop players being banned and "ensure the seamless establishment and operation" of the competition, according to a letter seen by AFP, addressed to Ceferin and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino.

The founding clubs will share 3.5 billion euros ($4 billion, £3 billion) for infrastructure investment and to offset pandemic costs, and are expected to receive a further 10 billion euros in "solidarity payments" over the life of the initial commitment -- much more than in the current Champions League.

"One thing I understand and that people think is not right is the competitiveness," said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who confirmed he was not consulted on the proposals.

The absence of French and German teams from the founding members is notable, despite Bayern Munich and Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain reaching last season's Champions League final.

However, a source close to the 12 founding clubs told AFP "at least two French clubs" are set to be involved every year.

"It's the death of football... Football is based on the concept of competitive balance, sporting competition and qualifying on merit," Tim Payton, head of the Arsenal Supporters Trust, told AFP.

Players have also voiced their disapproval.

- FIFA's 'disapproval' -

Then the competition would adopt the same two-leg knockout format used in the Champions League before a single-leg final in May.

The Premier League, the richest in Europe, issued a furious statement to say "the concept of a European Super League would destroy" the dream that any team could "climb to the top and play against the best".

Having been heavily involved in negotiations with UEFA over a new Champions League format, Agnelli came in for stinging criticism from Ceferin.

But Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez, who was announced as the first Super League president, said the breakaway reflected the big clubs' wishes.

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