18-Team European League Coming Soon?

A new European League could soon be coming and that is something many people enjoying no deposit bonuses at online casinos will be happy to see.

European Premier League that could be here by 2022

Football has changed and evolved over the years including the introduction of the Premier League in 1992. However, recent developments in the game have looked to transform the structure even further with the top clubs in the UK and Europe trying to break away and form their own league. We look into this, and how fans currently enjoying no deposit bonuses should benefit.

Project Big Picture

After the recent issue regarding Project Big Picture and the controversy that developed from that, there now seems to be another idea that the big clubs in Europe want to develop. It appears that the leading English clubs are already in talks to form an 18-team European Premier League.

Project Big Picture included the ‘big six’ English Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. The idea was to reduce the number of teams in the league to free up fixture space. Some of the key elements that comprised the project included:

• The Premier League reduced to 18 clubs

• Only six of the longest serving clubs need to vote for any change

• EFL Cup and Community Shield to be scrapped

However, once news of the secret meetings leaked and the extent of the plans were known, the Premier League and the remaining clubs voted against the project. However, this doesn’t mean that there may still be something in the pipeline that could yet change the status quo.

Lack of Fans at games moving to online No Deposit Casinos

Some people have speculated that the lack of fans at football grounds has sparked this move, partly because of lack of revenue, and also because there are no fans to protest at games. Since lockdown in March, it was clear that fans would not be allowed into matches for some time. Though this has upset many supporters, there has been an increase of no deposit casino bonus offers due to fans staying at home and betting on the games or playing slots. In fact, sites like NoDeposit Hunter and No Deposit UK have nice offers for new players that mirrors a rise in new player offers generally at online casinos.

The announcement by the Premier League of the Pay-Per-View games that would cost extra in addition to subscription games, has further outraged fans who believe they are being exploited.

Meanwhile, the English Premier League clubs are growing increasingly concerned about the lack of supporters at games. They claim that they are losing around £100 million every month, with the smaller clubs warning that they might not survive if the situation continues much longer.

European Premier League

According to Sky News financiers are currently setting up a £4.6 billion package that will be used to set up the new league. Top teams from France, Italy, Germany, and Spain would join UK top clubs as part of the founding members.

Clubs could start this new league as early as 2022, with the games played during the usual football season. The top teams in the league would go on to play a knock-out competition to decide the winners. It appears that several of the top teams in the Premier League including Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea have been approached, though it may only be five teams from the UK that will make the final group. Other clubs that may also join are:

• Paris Saint-Germain

• Barcelona

• Athletico Madrid

• Juventus

• Bayern Munich

Details are still undecided, but it seems there will be 16 or 18 teams in the European Premier League meaning around 30 games would be played in a round-robin style. This type of competition is more like the American-style league that they use in Major League Soccer (MLS). One reason for this could be that a number of big clubs in the UK have US-based owners.

It isn’t known whether UEFA, who currently runs the Champions League Competition, supports the new league. If not, then this could be a big problem, especially as the Champions League is to be overhauled in 2024.

Regardless of whether fans return to football grounds, there seems to be a consensus among the top clubs that a new European League will generate them a greater income than they currently earn. However, whether such a competition can start with COVID still battering many parts of Europe remains uncertain.