The Scottish Angle: what if the European Super League DID happen?

British football has been through a turbulent few days this week, and every hour details seem to be changing and the dream of the European Super League (ESL) now feels like a dream of bygone years. 

From Sunday night till late on Tuesday, the ESL headline dominated the world of sport, and 12 of Europe’s top clubs faced the brunt of the fallout.

Now branded ‘The Dirty Dozen’ by many fans, the group was made up of six English teams – Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham – and was joined by European powerhouses Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

Now, only Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus remain after the rest confirmed they were walking away from the project that would rival the UEFA Champions League.

Before the breakup, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin released a joint statement with the FA, Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, blasting the plans of the ESL as “disgraceful” and “a spit in the face for all football lovers”; the governing body was also quick to note that any players featuring in the new league would be swiftly banned from all European and national competitions.

This is obviously the result that we as football fans wanted from the start – but what if it didn’t happen the way it has? 

In a world where the six clubs stood their ground, in this hypothetical scenario, I raise this question – how detrimental to Scottish football, in particular, would it be if the Old Firm were to follow in the steps of Europe’s top clubs?

At the beginning of the week, this statement would have sounded absurd, but now reports are being raised about the formation of a ‘British Super League’ (BSL) after calls for a reformation of the grovelling Premier League – which would include England’s top sides as well as Rangers and Celtic.

This question is a loaded one of course, and depending on who you support and what team you have bias towards, it can have a multitude of answers – and that’s the thing, there is NO straight answer.

Scottish football has of course been through the idea of a “Scottish Super League” before in the early 90s, though as most will be aware the proposals fell through and hastened the creation of the SPFL at the end of the decade.

Rangers and Celtic are in unique positions in the Scottish Premiership that mirrors the deep separation of clubs at the very top of European football, and both clubs are clearly desperate to showcase just how good they are. However, their abilities to compete abroad consistently are hampered by the limited revenue they generate as clubs. The problem with Scottish football, especially at the level that Rangers and Celtic are at, is that there is not enough constant competition within SPFL boundaries. 

Before the fall of the ESL, it was reported that founding clubs would have received £3bn in funds as well as a permanent spot in the league. Football is at heart a game of passion and love for the fans; but as was evident with the backlash from the ESL, greed is the most powerful motive of all. 

It would be naive to think that the Old Firm wouldn’t jump at the chance to join a project like the ESL or the BSL. The potential riches and cash injections that would be generated would be considerable, but their ability to qualify would be another issue. Rangers will be returning to the Champions League for the first time in a decade next season and Celtic have crashed out of the qualifying rounds in the last three seasons. The hypothetical ability to progress and perform at a level neither will have properly experienced may prove to be too big of a fish to fry. On the pitch, regardless of the size of the clubs, neither can truly claim that they are among the top 20 teams at the peak of European football.

In terms of the SPFL, the disappearance of the Old Firm would arguably be the breaking point for Scottish football. Chief Executive of the SPFL, Neil Doncaster, had his say:

“We believe that any such ‘competition’ would dramatically undermine the global appeal of football and would be financially catastrophic for all but a very tiny minority. The proposals we have seen, assembled by a small, self-selected group of very wealthy clubs, appear to be a cynical and very worrying attempt to thwart the core principle of sporting merit which rightly underpins European football. They represent a clear and present danger to the sport we all love. The SPFL stands ready to support all efforts to fight for the principles of solidarity, sporting competition and fairness which lie at the very heart of the game.”

SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster

Many feel that the Scottish top flight could survive the departure of one or even both of the biggest clubs. For one, the league would become a complete free-for-all. Scottish football supporters regularly deliver some of the highest average attendances per capita in Europe and fans are extremely loyal to their clubs; this is unlikely to change, but it would be undeniable that the league would become highly competitive. Unlike the Premier League, the SPFL is largely a two-horse race. Without the Old Firm, the competitive potential is unmatchable and we would likely see new Scottish champions crowned every year.

All of this of course comes at an excitingly uncertain time for Scottish football as a whole. For the first time since the 90s, Scotland has qualified for the Euro play-off stages. The national team will play three matches in June against the Czech Republic, England and Croatia with the hopes of progressing further in the competition.

Following the news that some English players would have been potentially facing bans due to their involvement with teams joining the ESL, Scotland may have had a golden opportunity to progress further than anyone anticipated. Of course, if this ban were to hypothetically happen, we would be without the likes of Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson – our captain – and Manchester United’s Scott McTominay. Scotland star John McGinn took to Twitter to joke about the absurdity of the proposals, saying: “Pro evolution names til the end of the season for them. Man Blue v Merseyside Red.” Manager Steve Clarke picks his squad next month, and at least there is no doubt that the Aston Villa star will be a part of it.

The absurdity and greed of the European Super League and the audacity of a British Super League will have consequences and ramifications for years to come. Football will always be – and should always be – a fan-led game, and fans will not let their clubs forget the events that have transpired over the last four days.