Doomed to Fail? An Analysis Of European Super League And The Complex Web Of Football Governance, Regulations & Laws

“Football – B**ody Hell” – Sir Alex Ferguson

To adopt an over-used phrase in recent life, the European Super League (ESL) saga (or perhaps more accurately, limited series) is unprecedented. Within the space of 72 hours, the breakaway mid-week competition involving Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur (the ESL Six) was announced, attracted a huge backlash and then disappeared in a flurry of apologies.

Whilst the threat of the ESL appears to have subsided in the short term, the project brought into sharp focus the regulatory and governance structure of football and has even led to the UK Government announcing a fan-led review of the sport.

The debate around why the ESL failed is on-going. Many will attribute its cause of death to the opposition from football fans around the world or perhaps to the threats of royal and legislative intervention.

This article explores the regulatory hurdles that the ESL would have had to overcome as well as the potential measures that football authorities could have taken. Specifically, it looks at:

• The intricacies of football governance regulations
• Potential sanctions under UEFA and FIFA regulations
• The Premier League and the UK FA regulations