Super League soccer company gets new CEO to revive plan

GENEVA: The Super League project that aims to revolutionize European soccer has hired a new top executive to steer a revived plan after a failed launch last year. German former television boss Bernd Reichart is the new CEO of A22 Sports Management, the Madrid-based company said Wednesday.

The company worked with 12 elite clubs from Spain, England and Italy to create a breakaway league in April 2021. Reichart’s hiring comes as A22 and Super League holdouts Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus await a European Court of Justice ruling in their challenge to the alleged monopoly control they say Champions League organizer UEFA has over international competitions.

A revamped Super League plan — likely involving more clubs from more countries in a multi-tier competition with promotion and relegation — is expected regardless of the Luxembourg court’s final ruling next year. The “Super League” brand that proved so toxic last year would likely also change, Reichart said Wednesday in an interview with reporters from German news agency DPA.

“The name Super League is not set,” Reichart said His role was described by A22 as “to initiate an active and extended dialogue with a comprehensive group of football stakeholders including clubs, players, coaches, fans, media and policy makers.” Reichart worked in commercial rights in the sports industry with the Sportfive agency and was CEO of German commercial broadcaster RTL from 2019 through 2021. The Super League was first planned as a 20-team breakaway with 15 founding members given protected places and guaranteed extra income.

The top Champions League teams currently earn up to about 130 million euros ($127 million) per season in prize money from UEFA. The breakaway league launched