Super League latest and what next for Manchester United and Man City amid court ruling

The European Super League could be back on the footballing agenda after a historic ruling by the European Court of Justice on Thursday.

After fans managed to shutdown the last attempt to launch the competition in 2021, a legal battle has ensued to bring the European Super League back under a new model. Both UEFA and FIFA remain opposed to the new league but, in a landmark ruling, the court found it would be unlawful for the current footballing bodies to block teams from entering the competition.

This means the door is once again open for Manchester United, Manchester City and a host of their Premier League rivals to breakaway should they wish. But how likely is that and what does the new incarnation of the European Super League look like? MEN Sport has taken a closer look.

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What was the original European Super League?

Two years ago, several of European football's top clubs announced they would form a splinter competition to rival the Champions League. These clubs were:

While being incredibly lucrative for the founding members, the promise was for more of the 'big matches' to occur regularly. However, the 'closed shop' nature of the competition caused fury among fans particularly in England.

Soon, all six Premier League clubs had pulled out amid a huge backlash. From there, the league collapsed but Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus have retained an interest.

What is the new European Super League?

The format would be based upon 'sporting merit' and see up to 80 teams join the competition in a multi-league format. No member would be immune from relegation, like under the last