The Bundesliga logo is seen on a TV camera inside the stadium prior to the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and SV Werder Bremen at Olympiastadion on January 23, 2021 in Berlin, Germany.
The Bundesliga is standing united against the European Super League, with Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen all publicly confirming that they will not be involved in the breakaway tournament.
It was revealed on Sunday evening that 12 of Europe’s biggest clubs are forming a new breakaway European Super League, which will be in direct competition to the UEFA Champions League.
Six clubs from the English Premier League (Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal), three clubs from the Spanish La Liga (Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid) and three clubs from the Serie A (Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan) have signed up for the league as the founding members.
But no teams from Germany or France have been involved yet. Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said on Mondaythat they want to “implement the planned reform of the UEFA Champions League,” adding that “Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund had 100% identical views in all discussions.”
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said that the Champions League holders did not take part in the plans for the Super League. He added that Bayern are convinced that the Champions League reforms are the right step for the development of European football.
Borussia Mönchengladbach went a step further, saying in a statementthat they will fight to ensure that the clubs involved in the European Super League are expelled from both domestic and international competitions.
Joint statement by #DFL and @DFB on the situation in European football ⬇️#SuperLeague
— DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga (@DFL_Official) April 19, 2021
Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Völler said that the closed league is a ‘crime against football.’ He added that the fact that Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich aren’t involved shows that they have a backbone. While RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff said that they ‘reject any plans to establish a Super League.’
UEFA have also introduced reforms to the format of the Champions League, which will see the number of teams in the competition increase from 32 to 36 in 2024.
