European soccer leagues reject latest proposal for new breakaway competition

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The organization that represents European soccer leagues on Thursday rejected latest proposals for a breakaway super league.

Detailed plans for a new rival to the Champions League — the Unify League — were released this week by Madrid-based A22 Sports Management.

It was not clear what support there was for the proposed competition, but A22 said it had held discussions with clubs, leagues and “other parties.”

The European Leagues, which represents 39 leagues and associations, said in a statement that it rejects “any suggestion that a consultation took place with our organization.”

It reaffirmed leagues’ commitment to the current system by which teams qualify for UEFA competitions like the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

“The A22’s competition model, which is not requested and unsubstantiated, would increase the number of international matches in an already congested calendar,” it said. “Supporters and stakeholders across the game have consistently made it clear that any attempt from existing or new international club competitions to expand their calendars at the expense of domestic competitions will be rejected.”

Attempts to launch a Super League in 2021, in which 15 top clubs were protected from relegation, collapsed in the face of angry fan protests.

A22 launched a revised format last year with promotion, relegation and exit from the competition — as well as a women’s tournament.

The latest plans would include 96 clubs with qualification “based on annual performance in domestic leagues,” the company said.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer