Twelve clubs have agreed to join a breakaway European Super League – but just how elite are they and what are their credentials to be awarded protected status in this rival to the Champions League?
Are they historically the most successful clubs in European football? Not as a collective.
Do they make up the 12 top sides in the game right now? Not on current form.
But they are the dozen richest clubs? Nope.
The entry criteria to this closed-shop is tricky to grasp and ridden with inconsistencies.
“Our 12 Founder Clubs represent billions of fans across the globe and 99 European trophies,” claimed Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, as he talked up how elite these Founding Clubs are.
The latter point is an interesting and controversial one – if that weight of historical success is an important factor, then why are four clubs which have never won the European Cup/Champions League involved?
Where are Bayern Munich, the third-most successful European Cup/Champions League team with their six titles? Or Ajax, sixth on the all-time European Cup/Champions League honours board with four wins?
Benfica, Porto, and Nottingham Forest all have multiple European Cup/Champions League wins in their history and, like the majority, have been fenced out by the Founding Clubs.
But putting past glories to one side, even recent form doesn’t mark these 12 clubs out as especially elite.
Five of them were nowhere to be seen when the Champions League knockout stages began this season, with four of them in the second-tier Europa League. Two more failed to make it past the Champions League last-16.
Instead, it appears Agnelli’s first point is perhaps the more important entry criteria: the global reach and money-making power of these dozen clubs.
“This is driven by money,” says Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol. “What these so-called big clubs want is more money in the future, they’re unhappy with the format of the Champions League at the moment. The men who run these clubs are all interested in making money. This is what it’s about.”
But then there is a place for a club such as AC Milan, who were 30th on the latest Deloitte Money League, behind the likes of Sheffield United and Crystal Palace.
Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan were also ranked outside the top 12 European clubs for revenue in the 2019/20 season.
Certainly one criteria that seems clear is that each of these Founding Clubs come from either the Premier League, Serie A or La Liga.
There are 56 countries under the UEFA banner but just three are represented in this powerful group, with Bundesliga giants Bayern and Ligue 1’s Paris St-German – the two teams which competed in last season’s Champions League final – notably excluded.
AC Milan
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has boosted AC Milan this season – but the club ranked below the likes of Crystal Palace and Sheffield United for revenue in 2019/20
European Cups/Champions Leagues: Seven
Revenue: 148.5m Euros (30th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Serie A: 2nd
Europa League: Lost in round of 16
Coppa Italia: Lost in quarter-finals
Arsenal
Arsenal are currently ninth in the Premier League, the lowest current domestic placing of the 12 Founding Clubs
European Cups/Champions Leagues: None
Revenue: 388m Euros (11th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Premier League: 9th
Europa League: Into semi-finals
FA Cup: Lost in fourth round
Carabao Cup: Lost in quarter-finals
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid are currently top of La Liga but are yet to win a Champions League
European Cups/Champions Leagues: None
Revenue: 331.8m Euros (13th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
La Liga: 1st
Champions League: Lost in round of 16
Copa del Rey: Lost in second round
Barcelona
Barcelona had the largest revenue among European clubs in 2019/20, according to the latest Deloitte Money League
European Cups/Champions Leagues: Five
Revenue: 715.1m Euros (1st on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
La Liga: 3rd
Champions League: Lost in round of 16
Copa del Rey: Winners
Chelsea
Chelsea are into the semi-finals of the Champions League
European Cups/Champions Leagues: One
Revenue: 469.7m Euros (8th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Premier League: 5th
Champions League: Into the semi-finals
FA Cup: Into the final
Carabao Cup: Lost in fourth round
Inter Milan
Inter Milan are top of Serie A
European Cups/Champions Leagues: Three
Revenue: 291.5m Euros (14th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Serie A: 1st
Champions League: Knocked out in group stage
Coppa Italia: Lost in semi-finals
Juventus
Juventus have dominated Italian football in recent years – although their last Champions League win came in 1996
European Cups/Champions Leagues: Two
Revenue: 397.9m Euros (10th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Serie A: 4th
Champions League: Knocked out in group stage
Coppa Italia: Lost in semi-finals
Liverpool
Liverpool have six European Cup/Champions League titles to their name
European Cups/Champions Leagues: Six
Revenue: 558.6m Euros (5th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Premier League: 6th
Champions League: Lost in quarter-finals
FA Cup: Lost in fourth round
Carabao Cup: Lost in fourth round
Man City
Premier League leaders Manchester City have reached the Champions League semi-finals for just the second time this season
European Cups/Champions Leagues: None
Revenue: 549.2m Euros (6th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Premier League: 1st
Champions League: Into semi-finals
FA Cup: Lost in semi-finals
Carabao Cup: Into final
Man Utd
Manchester United have three European Cup/Champions League titles – but were knocked into the Europa League midway through season
European Cups/Champions Leagues: Three
Revenue: 580.4m Euros (4th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Premier League: 2nd
Champions League: Knocked out in group stage; Europa League: Into semi-finals
FA Cup: Lost in quarter-finals
Carabao Cup: Lost in semi-finals
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are the most successful European club, with 13 European Cup/Champions League titles
European Cups/Champions Leagues: 13
Revenue: 691.8m Euros (2nd on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
La Liga: 2nd
Champions League: Into semi-finals
Copa del Rey: Lost in round of 32
Tottenham
Tottenham are one of four sides among the 12 to never have won the European Cup or Champions League
European Cups/Champions Leagues: None
Revenue: 445.7m Euros (9th on 2021 Deloitte Money League)
Current season:
Premier League: 7th
Europa League: Knocked out in round of 16
FA Cup: Lost in fifth round
Carabao Cup: Into final
