European Super League could be bad news for self-funded clubs like Norwich says football finance expert
Report by ITV News Anglia journalist Andy Ward
It was announced on Sunday evening, 18th April, that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are among 12 clubs who have committed to the proposed formation of a European Super League for elite football clubs.
All of the founding teams would be guaranteed a spot in the breakaway competition regardless of performance in their domestic leagues and would stand to earn hundreds of millions of pounds.
The idea has caused huge debate.
Cambridge United Head Coach Mark Bonner has questioned the motives of the English clubs who've signed up to it.
He says there should be more sustainability within the sport globally, and believes that little thought has been given to the wider football pyramid.
How could this impact football clubs in our region?
After a Premier League promotion at the weekend, Norwich joins a league on the verge of civil war.
A European Super League could see huge ramifications for self-funded clubs like Norwich and those further down the footballing pyramid.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire says proposals for the breakaway league could be bad news for some of the region's clubs.
The plans would see the top clubs in England play in a new midweek league, which Maguire says could see the richer clubs get richer.
Despite this, Premier League football will bring a huge economic boost for both the club and the city.
It's estimated Norwich's return to the top flight will be worth at least a hundred million pounds in broadcast revenue.
Unfortunately, the pandemic means there will be no repeat of the scenes we saw two years ago where fifty thousand Norwich fans lined the city's streets.
On this occasion, a couple of scarves outside City Hall will have to suffice - a stark contrast to the 2004 promotion winners who were the last Norwich team to be promoted so early in the season.
It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has committed to blocking the breakaway project, saying he will "look at everything that we can do" to stop the plans going ahead in their current form.
Mr Johnson condemned English football teams for being part of plans to breakaway from the Premier League, saying the proposals were not "good news for fans".
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