The creation of a new Super League has been announced, with several European football behemoths deciding to break away from UEFA and found their own competition.

A statement was released on Sunday night explaining that there are 12 founding clubs and three more who could join before the first season.

What is the European Super League’s format?

The statement from the organisers explained how the tournament will work. 

“[There will be] 20 participating clubs, with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season,” it said.

“[There will be] midweek fixtures, with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.

“[There will be] an August start with clubs participating in two groups of 10, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter-finals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.

ALSO READ Official: Super League is born with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico as founding members

“As soon as practicable after the start of the men’s competition, a corresponding women’s league will also be launched, helping to advance and develop the women’s game.”

Which teams would participate in the new Super League?

There had been a lot of speculation about who would compete in the competition, but now we know. 

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are the clubs announced as founding members.