World Super League Football Will Happen 'In a Few Years,' Says Director of EPFL

The director of the European Professional Football Leagues has predicted a World Super League will materialise "in a few years." 

According to Jacco Swart, Premier League clubs could soon duke it out against the best teams from Brazil, China, the United States and more in a truly global contest, per the Mirror's John Cross: 

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We will see a worldwide football competition in a few years. That is a development which nobody can stop anymore.

It will be an exclusive party for the happy few — for the biggest football brands in the world.

This new Super League will be driven by TV markets, huge sponsors, branding and marketing all over the world. And not by real football factors.

The traditional football formats will be snowed under.

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Cross added that Premier League clubs may face a decision in choosing whether to compete in the UEFA Champions League or a new World Super League, with television revenue sure to decide which clubs are involved.

Cross appeared on Alan Brazil's Sports Breakfast on TalkSport to go through the finer details of his report, mentioning the spending powers of the Chinese Super League as a big factor in their interest:

It's said Bundesliga kings Bayern Munich, Serie A title-holders Juventus and reigning European champions Real Madrid are the "driving force" behind this new worldwide movement.

That batch of teams alone would strip any remaining European competition of a huge amount of support, and the temptation for other clubs to follow suit might reveal itself if the tournament is a success.

The news of a World Super League has emerged in the same week that the EPFL responded to changes in the Champions League, which guaranteed teams from England, Germany, Spain and Italy four group spots each.

A statement was released via the EPFL's official website on Thursday, which criticised UEFA's decision to change the format from 2018 without consulting the group first, potentially endangering their relationship:

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The European Leagues believe the way this process has been conducted by UEFA to be unacceptable for an organisation that claims to be the governing body of football in Europe. A major change in European football has been announced without the support and consensus of the organisers of domestic league football in Europe. This decision will have a detrimental impact on domestic competitions and will lead to an exponential growth in the financial and sporting gap between the biggest clubs in Europe and all the others.

As a result of the decision taken by UEFA, the EPFL believes that UEFA has breached the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations.

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It's added that if the MoU were to be terminated as a result of UEFA's breach, all European leagues would have the freedom to schedule matches when they wish—even if said fixtures clash with UEFA club competitions.

It's understood the Premier League's massive advance in television revenue has funded other European clubs' decision to break away, according to Cross:

Many of the continent's big powers have seen the profits consistently made in England's top flight, with many deciding a lucrative venture into a worldwide arena could put them back on par with the Premier League's big guns.

The financial power of the Premier League hasn't really aided their success in Europe over recent years, and now England's hierarchy could soon find their elite earning potential challenged, too.