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153-684: The European Super League ( ESL ), officially the Super League , is a proposed seasonal football competition for clubs in Europe . It is organised by the European Super League Company, S.L., a commercial enterprise created to rival or replace the UEFA Champions League . The initial iteration of the league entailed 20 teams, with 15 of them being founding members of the competition. The leadership behind

306-456: A foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out . Internationally, association football is governed by FIFA . Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA . Of these confederations, CONMEBOL

459-541: A semi-closed league format. The backlash against the announcement of the league's plans resulted in nine of the clubs that were supposed to participate, including all six English clubs, announcing their intention to withdraw. However, eight clubs maintain a degree of involvement in the project as stakeholders . In April 2021, the ESL announced that it was suspending its operations, and a legal dispute followed. National courts have ruled that FIFA and UEFA must not interfere with

612-628: A stele of c.  375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy. Athenaeus , writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum . Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football , wrestling , and volleyball more than what

765-493: A French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920, women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, stating that "the game of football

918-513: A Super League. Commentary from the women's game was largely negative, with several commentators pointing out that the Super League's one-line mention of creating a women's version of the competition seemed like an afterthought, lacking in any details and with many of the Super League clubs not having well-established women's sides. 2018 Ballon d'Or Féminin winner Ada Hegerberg , one of the first high-profile women players to speak out against

1071-442: A caution ( yellow card ) or dismissal ( red card ). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while

1224-505: A deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays . A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of

1377-635: A further 96 teams, called "ProCup", which would replace the UEFA's Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Cup. The planned tournaments, based on the North American sports system , would have been sponsored by Italian corporation Media Partners. The project was abandoned after UEFA and its affiliated national associations and FIFA announced sanctions against all involved clubs. In 1998, the concept was still being promoted by Media Partners but it never progressed past

1530-400: A goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during

1683-549: A joint statement declaring their intention to prevent the new competition from proceeding any further, with UEFA warning that any clubs involved in the Super League would be banned from all other domestic, European and world football competitions, and that players from the clubs involved would also be banned from representing their national teams in international matches. In addition, the French Football Federation and Ligue de Football Professionnel of France,

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1836-640: A latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic. As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB , the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units . The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with

1989-529: A meeting attended by representatives from Eton , Harrow , Rugby , Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club , formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to

2142-513: A mix of basketball, and volleyball. This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce , a military history from the Han dynasty . Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through

2295-430: A particular club were largely supportive of the Super League. Many football fans criticised Tottenham Hotspur 's inclusion, as the team has not won a trophy since the 2008 Football League Cup Final . Barcelona fans hung a banner over Camp Nou which read "Barcelona is our life, not your toy. No to playing in the Super League." Supporter groups from all six English clubs opposed the league, releasing statements condemning

2448-426: A penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs , goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks. A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee

2601-416: A relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain. The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided

2754-599: A semi-closed league setup similar to basketball's EuroLeague , which would also eliminate the risk of clubs failing to qualify or being relegated and give these clubs a stable source of revenue and increased value, they also noted it had serious issues. While Forbes contributor Marc Edelman, professor of law at the City University of New York , wrote that the Super League would bring the lucrative U.S. professional sports league model to Europe, Ian Nicholas Quillen, MLS and American soccer contributor for Forbes , said

2907-528: A similar ancient game ( cuju , or tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian , Scotland, during the 1790s. Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on

3060-494: A statement "unanimously and vigorously" opposing the breakaway league but ruled out barring the six breakaway clubs from domestic competitions and preferred to not take legal action against them. The European Club Association (ECA) held an emergency meeting and subsequently announced their opposition to the plan. Andrea Agnelli , also a member of the UEFA Executive Committee, along with the founding clubs of

3213-428: A third seasonal tournament, the UEFA Cup, whose inaugural season took place three years later. The idea for a unique pan-European club competition was again discussed in the 1970s and gained legal traction at the end of the following decade. In 1987, Milan , Real Madrid and Glasgow Rangers executives planned a league competition with a single round-robin format – dubbed a "Super League" by European mass media since

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3366-564: A truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké , an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras . The sport also exacerbated tensions at

3519-432: A variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards . An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Headgear

3672-641: Is defined in Clause 4.3. below)." According to the report, no shares had been sold, meaning that the other nine clubs, despite having publicly backed down from the project, were still involved and waiting for the case to be taken by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which had been described as possibly the biggest football ruling since the Bosman case . Furthermore, only Inter officially abandoned

3825-451: Is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within the penalty area . The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or

3978-410: Is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by

4131-438: Is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during

4284-454: Is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game , a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference . The two teams compete to score goals by getting the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball

4437-405: Is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area

4590-816: Is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds. Women's football also faced bans in several other countries , notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979, in France from 1941 to 1970, and in Germany from 1955 to 1970. Restrictions began to be reduced in

4743-506: Is recognisable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football , the antecedent of all modern football codes , these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it. Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The history of football in England dates back to at least

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4896-593: Is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success, and the women's game has been improving in South America. Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game . The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference, known as

5049-623: Is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games . The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League , which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of the men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within

5202-455: Is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time , while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of

5355-577: Is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with the Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup . The men's World Cup

5508-404: Is to score goals; defenders , who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders , who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which

5661-421: The football (or soccer ball ). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by

5814-505: The 2023–24 season , to FIGC and the all 20 participating clubs in the league championship during the meeting organised on 16 February. The publication, which pointed out that similar debates were presented at the same time by Spanish La Liga, English Premier League, and German Bundesliga board members to the clubs in their respective countries, also noted that the Serie A was favourable to the project from an economic point of view and that FIFA

5967-557: The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, especially with ongoing debts. Real Madrid was amongst those hardest hit financially by the pandemic in Spain, which led to Pérez advancing the concept once again. The announcement of a new competition eventually drew interest from American investment firm JPMorgan Chase , which pledged US$ 5   billion towards its formation. On 18 April 2021, the eve of a UEFA Executive Committee meeting whose objective

6120-527: The Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia ) have yet to make a mark in international football. When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final. These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women's national team has won

6273-546: The French Football Federation (although not the European Cup, as the match in question was not in that competition). They were banned from defending their European title in the 1993–94 season , and contesting the Intercontinental Cup and Super Cup . During the 1995 trial over Marseille's financial accounts, it was revealed that they had an annual budget of Fr 5 million (about €760,000) dedicated to

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6426-703: The German Football Association and Deutsche Fußball Liga of Germany, as well as the Russian Premier League and Russian Football Union released similar statements opposing the proposal. UEFA began immediately looking into making further reforms to the Champions League in a €6   billion effort to prevent the proposal from moving forward. The Premier League and the Football Association released

6579-688: The fengliu yan , a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established. The Silk Road facilitated the transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju . Kemari originated after

6732-519: The final , becoming the first and as of 2024 only French team to win the European Cup/Champions League. However, soon after Marseille's victory allegations of match fixing were levelled at them and their president Bernard Tapie . This involved a league game that took place 6 days before the final where Marseille, it emerged, had fixed their title-clinching Division 1 game against Valenciennes so they could concentrate on

6885-438: The "hope" that the new competition would "provide higher-quality matches and additional financial resources for the overall football pyramid", provide "significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments, which will grow in line with league revenues", would appeal to a new younger generation of football fans, and also would improve VAR and refereeing. At

7038-635: The 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968. In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England, with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom. Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971 . Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football, while The Football Association rescinded

7191-546: The 2021 UEFA Congress in Montreux , Switzerland, both in response to the proposal and the clubs' efforts to remain in their domestic leagues: "If some elect to go their own way then they must live with the consequences of their choice, they are responsible for their choice. Concretely this means, either you are in, or you are out. You cannot be half in and half out. This has to be absolutely clear." Bayern Munich , Borussia Dortmund , and Paris Saint-Germain were sought out by

7344-521: The 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league . The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School . Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it

7497-465: The 6 English clubs, which remained co-owners and shareholders of the Spanish holding company, had failed to formally leave it, and that the project's organisers had stated the competition would "eventually relaunch in modified form". About the binding contract, it was reported, according to those close to the venture, that there is "no mechanism" for the clubs to withdraw, as only unanimous consensus among

7650-463: The Champions League, the Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Cup into a unique championship. Three years later, Ajax , Barcelona , Bayern Munich , and Manchester United secretly planned a "Super League", to rival the Champions League. It would have 36 "prominent" clubs split into three groups and a play-off stage for the title at the end of the season. There would also be a second competition for

7803-416: The ESL included sharing 32.5 percent of commercial revenues among the founding clubs and all 20 ESL teams (including five invited teams), with an additional 20 percent distributed based on club performance. The remaining 15 percent would be allocated according to each club's broadcast audience size. In addition, clubs would be permitted to retain gate receipts and club sponsorship revenue. The ESL claimed that

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7956-417: The ESL is Florentino Pérez (president of Real Madrid ). The other founders, Andrea Agnelli (chairman of Juventus ), Joel Glazer (co-owner of Manchester United ), John W. Henry (owner of Liverpool ) and Stan Kroenke (owner of Arsenal ), withdrew shortly thereafter in the face of rejection by their clubs. By 2023, Pérez and Joan Laporta (president of Barcelona ) remained the strongest advocates of

8109-440: The ESL to join; Bayern and Borussia were given 30 days, and PSG 14 days, to sign up to the Super League, but all three rejected involvement in the competition, publicly condemning the concept. Pérez alleged that the three clubs had not been invited. Other French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and Dutch clubs were reported to have declined to join the competition. West Ham United said on their website that they were strongly opposed to

8262-529: The ESL. The European Super League announcement in April 2021 was met with significant backlash from various groups: fans, players, managers and football clubs. The league also faced opposition from UEFA, FIFA and some national governments. Critics of the league raised concerns regarding potential exclusivity and reduced competitiveness within the ESL, as the league would consist of high-ranking teams from selected European countries who would be permanent contestants in

8415-542: The English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster), and the United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of

8568-576: The FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team. Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has

8721-838: The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales , and the Irish Football Association . FIFA , the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of

8874-467: The Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick . The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by

9027-475: The IFAB Laws. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes ), one of whom must be the goalkeeper . Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are

9180-582: The Italian Super League teams to be banned from Serie A; Hellas Verona denied in a statement having requested such a ban alongside Atalanta and Cagliari. On 3 May, a report from Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore noted that the Super League project was officially presented by the Lega Serie A Head of Competition and Operation Andrea Butti, as an alternative to the reform of the Champions League planned by UEFA and initially provided for

9333-448: The LFP, FFF, UEFA and FIFA to protect the integrity of federal competitions, whether national or European." The Spanish government released a statement saying they "[do] not support the initiative to create a football Super League promoted by various European clubs, including the Spanish ones." Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi also backed UEFA in their decision, saying he "strongly supports

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9486-430: The Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees . In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether

9639-479: The Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks . The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with

9792-617: The Opposition Keir Starmer . In addition, the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said in a statement to the House of Commons that "this move goes against the very spirit of the game", and pledged to do "whatever it takes" to stop English clubs from joining. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his support for UEFA's position, stating: "The French state will support all the steps taken by

9945-546: The Premier League. On 20 April, more than a thousand Chelsea fans joined protests outside Stamford Bridge ahead of Chelsea's game against Brighton & Hove Albion and the team buses of both clubs were blocked from entering the stadium. Shortly after, it was relayed to the gathered fans that Chelsea would withdraw from the Super League, leading to an outpour of celebration. On 19 April 2021, Aleksander Čeferin stated that UEFA would begin making "legal assessments" on

10098-658: The Super League a "crude idea that goes against the fans." Italian journalist Emanuele Celeste spoke of "a regulation not very faithful to traditional football" and the risk of new future rules in reference to the division of a match into three periods instead of two. Michael Cox argued in The Athletic that the league would help restore completive balance in European football due to the widening gap between big, rich clubs and smaller, poorer clubs in domestic leagues, and this inequality would only increase as time goes on without

10251-470: The Super League teams from the Champions League and Europa League , and the matches would proceed as scheduled. Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer , is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called a pitch . The objective of

10404-593: The Super League, did not attend the virtual meeting. Agnelli later resigned from his positions as ECA chairman and UEFA Executive Committee member, with all twelve Super League clubs also leaving the ECA. On 7 May 2021, UEFA approved reintegration measures for nine clubs involved in that breakaway competition. FIFA later expressed its disapproval in the wake of the negative outcry to the ESL proposal, alongside International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach , with FIFA president Gianni Infantino stating during an address at

10557-469: The Super League, emphasising their working-class roots and the 150 academy players who had developed to play for the first team. In a statement, Everton criticised the Big Six English clubs joining the Super League and accused them of "betraying" British football supporters. Leeds United also referred to Liverpool on social media as "Merseyside Reds", referencing the unlicenced name used for

10710-456: The Super League. A snap YouGov poll conducted shortly after the league's announcement found that 79% of British football fans oppose the Super League with only 14% expressing support; 76% of fans of the British teams joining the Super League also expressed disapproval, with 20% expressing support. International fans of the clubs involved as well as international football fans who did not support

10863-460: The ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England. Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from

11016-410: The beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play: A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of

11169-534: The beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990. Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that

11322-404: The buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions. The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch ) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with

11475-679: The champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world. In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world, but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere. Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa , Asia and North America , and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football, although countries in

11628-676: The club in the Pro Evolution Soccer video game series. Before a game between the clubs on 19 April, Leeds players warmed up in t-shirts condemning the competition, featuring the UEFA Champions League logo alongside the caption 'earn it' on the front, and 'football is for the fans' on the back. The shirts had been left on the benches inside the Liverpool changing room, but the players did not wear them. Atalanta , Cagliari , and Hellas Verona reportedly called for

11781-548: The club. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson called for a meeting for captains of Premier League clubs to discuss a collective response. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said he trusts his club to make the right decisions in relation to the European Super League. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola added that while "it is not [really] a sport if success is guaranteed", UEFA "had failed" in advancing

11934-460: The clubs' involvement in their domestic leagues. At the end of these group matches, the top three of each group would qualify for the quarter-finals, while the teams finishing fourth and fifth from each group would compete in two-legged play-offs to decide the last two quarter-finalists. The remainder of the competition would take place in a four-week span at the end of the season, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals featuring two-legged ties, while

12087-425: The competition's operation, while 5 places would be given to clubs through a qualifying mechanism focused on the teams who performed best in their country's most recent domestic-league season. Each year, the competition would see the teams split into 2 groups of 10 clubs, playing home-and-away games in a double round-robin format for 18 group games per team, with fixtures set to take place midweek to avoid disrupting

12240-562: The competition's operations, and the role they'd held within the sport: According to reports, Gavin Patterson , former BT Sport boss, was approached to take up the role of chief executive officer. Following the format for the initial stages of the European basketball's EuroLeague , the proposed competition would feature 20 clubs that would take part in matches against each other. 15 of these clubs would be "permanent members", and were dubbed "founding clubs". The founding clubs would govern

12393-529: The contract, the founding clubs would have had the same number of shares in the limited liability company based in Spain, with the contract reading: "The Founding Clubs have agreed to jointly own and hold equal stakes in 'European League Company, S.L.' ('SLCo') a limited liability company which shall own, manage and operate the SL directly and through a number of subsidiaries (i.e., the SL Companies as this term

12546-425: The course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes, with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches . Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at

12699-490: The creation of a new "super-league" competition for European clubs that would replace the European Champions Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup and form the "European Football League Championship", a unique club-competition combining group and knockout matches, a novelty at the time. The proposal was never seriously entertained and, in the same year, UEFA agreed to expand clubs' access to its competitions by creating

12852-506: The development of the ESL. In October 2022, A22 Sports Management, a company formed to "sponsor and assist" in the creation of the European Super League, announced it would be exploring plans to relaunch the competition. On 21 December 2023, the European Court of Justice issued a ruling that a ban on the ESL could be in conflict with certain European Union regulations. In 1968, then UEFA general secretary Hans Bangerter proposed

13005-455: The effectiveness of this proposal. On 23 April 2021, Der Spiegel , having purportedly gained access to the 167-page European Super League contract, revealed that Barcelona and Real Madrid were set to receive €60   million over and above what other clubs would receive over the first two years, whereas A.C. Milan, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and Atlético Madrid were set to make less than other Super League clubs. The Guardian reported

13158-453: The eighth century. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The Cambridge rules , first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge , at

13311-420: The end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations. A game is officiated by a referee , who has "full authority to enforce

13464-454: The existence of the Super League could negatively affect Britain's soft power . Commentators also noted how the ESL could render domestic competitions as irrelevant and lower tier compared to the Super League, and that it would destroy the ideas behind promotion and relegation systems; Pérez later countered this with claims that the ESL would later have a system of promotion and relegation. In an opinion piece by Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports,

13617-551: The final against Milan. It is believed that Tapie bribed Valenciennes to lose so that Marseille would win the French league earlier, and above all that they would not injure the Marseille players before the final against Milan. Before the 1991 European Cup final against Red Star Belgrade , Marseille had a few injured players, Tapie did not want to repeat this mistake. This resulted in Marseille being stripped of their league title by

13770-661: The final would be contested as a single fixture at a neutral venue. Each season of the competition would feature 197 games: 180 in the group stage and 17 in the knockout stage. On 15 October 2021, it was announced that the European Super League Company, led by Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus, was planning an open league with two divisions of 20 clubs each, intended to compete with the Champions League and Europa League. The proposed European Super League (ESL) intended to offer participating clubs uncapped 'solidarity payments,' which would increase alongside

13923-400: The first footballers to oppose their own clubs joining the league. Liverpool midfielder James Milner said in a post-match interview that he did not like the Super League, and wished it would not happen. Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was also critical of the Super League, although he said he would not resign and instead would "sort it somehow" with Fenway Sports Group , who are the owners of

14076-481: The following day, and that the organisation would look to ban the twelve Super League clubs "as soon as possible." However, the Super League informed UEFA and FIFA that they had begun legal action to prevent the competition from being thwarted. Jesper Møller , chairman of the Danish Football Association and UEFA Executive Committee member, stated that he expected the three Super League clubs in

14229-420: The forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling , passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at

14382-528: The formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street , London. The only school to be represented on this occasion

14535-402: The founding contract of the Super League and found that while FIFA had publicly criticised a breakaway European Super League, it had held private talks for months with the founders about endorsing the competition. The NYT article reported a need for the ESL founders to strike an agreement with "an entity obliquely labeled W01 but easily identifiable as FIFA", while the document said the agreement

14688-531: The four British associations. For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup , inaugurated in 1930 , became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams. In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and

14841-695: The game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation . Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager . There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on

14994-422: The game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it is the world's most popular sport. The game of association football

15147-425: The goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of

15300-404: The highest global television audience in sport. In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans , local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games. The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure

15453-438: The idea of a "breakaway" competition meant to provide "strong financial backing" for all the clubs involved. The clubs who participated in the discussions, conducted in secret, were primarily focused on exploring options if UEFA would not produce "reforms" for the Champions League that would be considered as acceptable for them. The idea of a new competition again surfaced in 2020, as big-name football clubs suffered financially from

15606-687: The instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league , which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England . Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of

15759-759: The lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup , which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock , and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow , again at

15912-459: The league vice-chairman Joel Glazer 's ownership of Manchester United just over a year previously) generated strong attention on social media, calling the formation "an act of pure greed" and being especially disappointed at his former club's admission, going on to say that stringent measures must be taken against the founding clubs, including bans from European competitions and point deductions. Neville's former United teammate Roy Keane said that it

16065-399: The league would generate income across football and increase revenues, enabling larger clubs to invest more in smaller clubs through transfer fees . The ESL also offered an annual solidarity payment of € 400 million to incentivize participation. The proposal also included a purported solution to the financial control issues raised by Financial Fair Play Regulations , although critics disputed

16218-497: The league's revenues and surpass the payouts of existing European competitions. According to the league's press release, these payments would amount to 'in excess of €10 billion during the course of the initial commitment period of the clubs.' Additionally, the founding clubs would collectively receive €3.5 billion to support infrastructure investments and offset the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed payment structure for

16371-448: The league, tweeted that "greed is not the future." "I would say that's a bad idea. Football has to stay united, it's the most important thing. It's based on sporting merit and overall to respect the history that has been built from European football." —Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger The reaction of former Manchester United player, current Salford City co-owner, and Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville (who had defended

16524-448: The league. Amazon Prime Video , which owns streaming rights to the Premier League in the UK, stated they had no involvement. DAZN confirmed they were not "in any way involved or interested in entering into discussions regarding the establishment of a Super League and no conversations have taken place." Facebook, Inc. also denied involvement in broadcasting discussions. Mediapro , who hold

16677-534: The nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football. Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from,

16830-423: The next stoppage of play. The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. 1992%E2%80%9393 UEFA Champions League It was the second season of the competition in which the eight second round winners would be split into two groups, with

16983-426: The offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff. Rather than stopping play,

17136-470: The original thirteen laws of the game. The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC , had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union . The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and

17289-432: The pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines , while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines . A rectangular goal

17442-437: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow . In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895. Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom. Association football continued to be played by women since

17595-646: The planning stage after UEFA moved to expand the UEFA Champions League . Various other proposals were brought forward but all equally failed to achieve popular approval. In 2009, Florentino Pérez , president of Real Madrid, began planning for a "super-league competition," stating that the Champions League was too "obsolete and problematic" for the quality of the sport, and was "an obstacle preventing clubs from growing their businesses and developing infrastructure". In 2018, Pérez began discussions with other clubs in Europe, mostly clubs from in Spain, England, and Italy, about

17748-419: The plans and the clubs for their involvement in the league. On 19 April, a crowd of about 700 fans appeared outside Elland Road despite COVID-19 restrictions, ahead of the scheduled match between Leeds United and Liverpool, to protest against the European Super League. A banner in the stands stated "Earn it on the pitch, football is for the fans." The Athletic later reported that the shirts were approved by

17901-437: The player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of

18054-400: The players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa . Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by

18207-521: The positions of the Italian and European football authorities." Despite claims that the ESL would be the "most significant restructuring of elite European football since the creation of the European Cup" and that claims of negative impacts from it were similar to the founding of the Premier League in 1992, commentators had contrasting opinions. Although they noted that the new competition would eliminate financial risk for its founding members by operating on

18360-572: The project for sponsorship purposes, having sold all its shares. It also reiterated that there is a penalty of approximately €300 million for breaking the binding contract. The contract already confirmed the Super League's clubs' commitment to both domestic championships and league cups, and that the Super League, described as a "pan-European competition," would start as soon as recognised by UEFA and FIFA, with legal protection from European courts to allow their continued participation in domestic leagues and cups. On 20 June 2021, The Times reported that

18513-401: The proposals across Europe, the most prominent coming from the British government, with the objections to the ESL uniting political parties completely behind its prevention. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the proposals "very damaging for football" and vowed to ensure that it "doesn't go ahead in the way that it's currently being proposed", a position which was supported by Leader of

18666-430: The proposed format of the tournament was the same as that used in league championships, contrasted with the format of the European competitions, based on knockout phases since the mid-1950s – that would be more attractive for international television broadcasters , and would ostensibly allow the participating clubs to earn more income for "economic and management guarantees". The competition was supposed to run parallel to

18819-456: The proposed plan was described as "repulsive" but the idea itself was commended; however, the competition structure would strongly need a system of promotion and relegation based on performance in domestic leagues and the Champions League, and the ESL clubs should share more of its profits with lower status clubs. Writing in Corriere della Sera , Italian sports commentator Mario Sconcerti called

18972-498: The purchase of matches from 1989 to 1993. The UEFA, along with the French Federation (FFF) and France authorities, investigated several Marseille matches during the 1992–93 season. These investigations have not established any formal proof concerning alleged match-fixing in the Champions League. Therefore, Marseille's status as 1993 European champion was not affected. Barcelona , the defending champions, were eliminated in

19125-416: The referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at

19278-419: The referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play , and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time". The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs

19431-440: The respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since; by 2019 , it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition. Four years later , FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion, while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record. Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996 . North America

19584-405: The rights to La Liga and the Champions League in Spain, told Reuters that "television broadcasters won't break their contracts with UEFA and national leagues to join the breakaway European Super League project", and it also predicted that the Super League would fail. Football Supporters Europe (FSE), a body representing supporters in 45 UEFA countries, issued a statement opposing the creation of

19737-544: The rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart. At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers , or forwards, whose main task

19890-435: The same month that European Super League clubs were promised €200–300 million as a "welcome bonus". It was also reported by Marca that there was a €300 million penalty for leaving the project; the Super League stated that the quoted sum was "false." Vozpópuli reported that the "clause is related to the €3.2 billion loan that JP Morgan received" to "ensure the project's viability." On 20 May, The New York Times reviewed

20043-466: The second round by CSKA Moscow . The first legs were played on 19 August, and the second legs on 2 September 1992. The first legs were played on 16 September, and the second legs on 30 September 1992. An additional play-off was held on 9 October. The first legs were played on 21 October, and the second legs on 4 November 1992. The group stage began on 25 November 1992 and ended on 21 April 1993. The eight teams were divided into two groups of four, and

20196-461: The semi-finals of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League (Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid) to be expelled from the competition by 23 April. In addition, he also expected Arsenal and Manchester United to be expelled from the semi-finals of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League . In response, Super League chairman Florentino Pérez said that this would be "impossible" and that the law protects them. On 20 April, ESPN reported that UEFA decided to not ban

20349-499: The sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation , and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most." Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this

20502-407: The sport and that footballing institutions "think for themselves." UK broadcaster BT Sport , one of the networks that hold the rights to the Champions League and the Premier League, condemned the European Super League and said that it "could have a damaging effect on the long-term health of football in the United Kingdom", whilst its competitor Sky reiterated that it has not held talks to broadcast

20655-459: The survey, 66% of clubs reacted negatively to the Super League's announcement, and 56% of clubs said that a Super League would negatively affect their club. A slim majority of clubs believed that the Super League concept had not gone away, and many clubs wanted to see a Super League involve more teams from other nations, institute a promotion and relegation system, and a revised distribution of income. Numerous politicians expressed their opposition to

20808-466: The system would be "a sinister hybrid of ['closed' and 'open'] league systems that deflects the drawbacks onto most of its domestic league peers", offering "the Rest of Europe the most meager of prizes imaginable in order to justify not [providing stability or support to all participants] while hoarding the potential gains for themselves." Bloomberg News columnist Alex Webb argued a Premier League weakened by

20961-529: The teams in each group played against each other on a home-and-away basis, meaning that each team played a total of six group matches. For each win, teams were awarded two points, with one point awarded for each draw. At the end of the group stage, the first team in each group advanced to the final. The final was played on 26 May 1993 at the Olympiastadion in Munich , Germany. The top scorers from

21114-492: The then three European competitions from the 1991–92 season onwards, but the project was abandoned in 1991 after UEFA announced sporting sanctions sine die for the clubs involved. UEFA also reformed the European Champions Cup introducing a group stage for the 1991–92 season , increasing the overall number of games, and rebranding the competition as the Champions League since 1992 . The following year, then UEFA president Lennart Johansson proposed, unsuccessfully, to merge

21267-447: The time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty. The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty. In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such

21420-542: The time of the announcement, ten of the founding clubs were in the top 14 of the UEFA club coefficient rankings , with only Inter (26th) and Milan (53rd) falling outside. All twelve clubs were in the top 16 on the 2021 Forbes ' list of the most valuable football clubs ; their combined value was US$ 34.4   billion. The launch of the ESL included the announcement of the organisation's executive leadership. The table below shows each football executive who became involved in

21573-538: The time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century. The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club . Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where

21726-422: The tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score. In competitions using two-legged matches , each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from

21879-568: The twelve founding clubs can dissolve the venture, and any club leaving unilaterally faced "unlimited fines." The formation of the ESL led to widespread condemnation from UEFA , The Football Association and Premier League of England, the Italian Football Federation and Lega Serie A of Italy, and the Royal Spanish Football Federation and La Liga of Spain. All governing bodies issued

22032-439: The two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required. Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play . From

22185-563: The winner of each one meeting in the final. In addition, a preliminary round was required as this was the first season after the break-up of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia , resulting in many new countries eligible to enter the champions of their own leagues into the competition. Israel and the Faroe Islands were also represented for the first time. The tournament was won for the first time by Marseille , defeating Milan in

22338-644: The year 600 during the Asuka period . It was a ceremonial rather than a competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari , a ball made of animal skin. In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians ; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals". Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on

22491-516: Was Charterhouse . The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game , forming modern football. The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley , ratified

22644-424: Was "an essential condition for the implementation of the SL project". It also reported that the Super League offered up to 12 clubs to participate in the new FIFA Club World Cup , and considered allowing FIFA to keep $ 1 billion in potential payouts as a "solidarity payment". On 31 May 2021, El Confidencial revealed it had obtained access to the binding contract signed by the twelve clubs on 17 April. According to

22797-530: Was aware of it, to the point that the eventual Super League winner team would participate in the new FIFA Club World Cup , provisionally called the World Club Competition or World League. About the latter, a 20 May New York Times report emphasised FIFA's participation in the European Super League project. On 22 October, The Athletic reported the results of its anonymous survey of clubs from across UEFA's member associations. According to

22950-595: Was later reduced to the modern spelling. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes , and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football. The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca . Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. The Chinese competitive game cuju ( 蹴鞠 , literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu ) resembles modern association football as well as

23103-504: Was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War , when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England . The team played in one of the first women's international matches against

23256-475: Was motivated by money and greed, and praised Bayern Munich for not taking part. "We don't like it and we don't want it to happen. This is our collective position. Our commitment to this football club and its supporters is absolute and unconditional." — Collective statement from Liverpool players, following the announcement of the Super League. Portuguese national team members Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United and João Cancelo of Manchester City became

23409-581: Was to revamp and expand the UEFA Champions League by the 2024–25 season in order to increase the number of matches and revenues. Pérez announced the "formation of the Super League," also referred to as the "European Super League" or ESL, via a press release by the twelve clubs that had signed up to be involved. These included English clubs ( Arsenal , Chelsea , Liverpool , Manchester City , Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur ), Italian clubs ( Inter Milan , Juventus , and Milan), and Spanish clubs ( Atlético Madrid , Barcelona, and Real Madrid). Pérez expressed

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