ABSTRACT
Taking the economic analysis to the operational level, this chapter looks at the economic and legal stakes of breakaway leagues in the field of football. The authors seek to identify the opportunities that the creation of a Superleague would offer to key stakeholders in the professional football ecosystem, considering economic alongside legal conditions, first by questioning the interests of the clubs: is the Superleague intended to maximize their revenues; should it help establish regulatory mechanisms that end the arms race in the talent market; or is this project just a negotiating lever used by the big clubs against UEFA? This raises the question of the interest for the competition organizer. Several strategic resources and conditions necessary for the success of independent leagues can be identified in the literature. Beyond the legal barriers to entry, how does a sport competition manage to impose itself over its competitors? Finally, this chapter examines the consequences of the Superleague for (tele)spectators. Given the erosion of the competitive balance in continental and domestic football competitions, could the independent league have a beneficial effect on the interest of competitions?
