What’s next for football? Will sports betting change? Could the backlash halt this project?

Over the weekend the world’s top clubs announced that they will be joining a breakaway league called the European Super League.

Six English Premier League clubs, three La Liga clubs and three Serie A sides have all joined the new league as founding members. The competition is set to have 20 teams with another five sides being able to qualify each year for the competition.

The clubs that are said to join the European Super League are:

• Arsenal
• Chelsea
• Liverpool
• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Tottenham
• Atletico Madrid
• Barcelona
• Real Madrid
• AC Milan
• Juventus
• Inter Milan

Notable names are missing from the list such as Bayern Munich, Dortmund and PSG, who have all rejected the invitation to join the league.

According to the clubs the formation comes at a time when:

The global pandemic has accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model. Further, for a number of years, the Founding Clubs have had the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis.

‘The pandemic has shown that a strategic vision and a sustainable commercial approach are required to enhance value and support for the benefit of the entire European football pyramid.’

However, these clubs have experienced major backlash from their own supporters, managers, players and pundits who have all voiced their opinion about this European Super League.

How can this change the sports betting landscape?

Football as we know it is set to change if this $4.2billion project gets the green light. The world’s elite teams will play each other throughout the year, and if these clubs are not banned from their domestic leagues it is anticipated that ‘The European Super League will be given priority and clubs will field weaker teams for the Premier League.’ So who exactly is the underdog or favourite?

Sports betting operators will have their work cut out for them to determine these new odds and since elite teams will be playing against each other week in week out, odds may be very low which will effect operators’ profit margin.

Punters will no longer bet on an FA Cup tie between a Premier league team and a League 2 side, hoping for an upset to cash in big – the excitement is gone, football as we know it will change forever and not in a good way.

What does this mean for football overall?

Lower leagues will definitely suffer from all of this, especially in England. The top 6 teams generate an obscene amount of revenue for the league and without them there will be hardly any money to re-invest into the league. There is also concern whether fans will continue to follow these big clubs or take a stand against this newly formed league.

Moreover, the Champions League will then be effectively replaced by this new format. Another fan favourite tournament for sports betting that could plummet in popularity.

Additionally, FIFA and UEFA are expected to ban the teams from the Champions League and players who play for these clubs will no longer be able to represent their country at international level. Therefore, another event will be negatively impacted – the World Cup.

The backlash

There are hardly any supporters of this new European Super League, with governments, players, managers and pundits all coming out against this idea that is set to destroy football. The only positive thing about this European Super League is that is has united rival fans to join together and fight for one common goal and that is – to stop the Americanisation of football.

The football world had this to say about the European Super League:

Premier League:

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Boris Johnson:

Jurgen Klopp:

Gary Neville & Carragher:

Pep Guardiola:

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James Milner:

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