One of the most controversial chapters in European men's football unfolded in a few short weeks during spring 2021 when proposals for the European Super League were announced.
With 12 founding members including Premier League sides Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, the European Super League announcement was met with an immediate, sustained backlash from UEFA, the FA, Premier League, some broadcasters, and numerous European football federations and leagues from Serie A to La Liga.
Other clubs shared their opposition, and world leaders even got involved, from British then-prime minister Boris Johnson to French president Emmanuel Macron. Furious fans quickly organised protests outside the grounds of clubs involved.
Players past and present were critical, and even Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp shared his concerns about the proposals. There was also criticism of the plans from within women's football, following fleeting mention of "a corresponding women's league" in a press release.
By April 21, just three days after the European Super League was announced, all six English founding members announced their intention to withdraw from the proposed league.
A new four-part documentary from Apple TV+ promises new insight into the story behind the formation of the European Super League and the controversy it sparked.
A trailer teases contributions from UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, who strongly opposed the plans, and Juventus' former chairman Andrea Agnelli, who was one of the European Super League's vice-chairs.
With a team including The Two Escobars' Jeff Zimbalist and producer Libby Geist (The Last Dance), the miniseries is a part of Apple's increasing sports programming library – with further documentaries on the way about sports icons including seven-time Formula 1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, plus NBA stars Stephen Curry and Magic Johnson.
Watch Super League: The War for Football
Super League: The War for Football will premiere around the world this Friday, January 13, streaming exclusively on Apple TV+.
New customers can take advantage of a seven-day free trial of the service, and after that, Apple TV+ is priced at £6.99 per month in the UK, €6.99 per month in Europe, and $6.99 per month in the US.
There are some other ways to get access to Apple TV+ at no extra cost for a longer period (bear in mind that certain eligibility conditions apply). For example, if you buy a new Apple device like an iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV hardware or Mac, you may be eligible for three months' free Apple TV+ (more information is available here).
If you're an EE phone customer in the UK, you can select Apple TV+ as your Inclusive Extra. Three customers have the option of three months Apple TV+, on purchasing an eligible Apple device.
And O2 Priority members should keep an eye on their app for Apple offers – at time of writing, new and existing customers can claim up to three months' free Apple TV+ and are "eligible if you have not redeemed a TV+ voucher from Priority before". The perk is available until August 11, and codes need to be redeemed by November 9.
New Barclaycard holders who've never had Apple TV+ before can claim five months for free, and PS5 and PS4 console owners might want to check this page for details of extended trial offers (as with all of these promotions, certain eligibility criteria apply, plus terms and conditions).
Those in the US can take advantage of Apple TV+ promo offers via selected T-Mobile plans.
Finally, Apple One bundles a number of services (Apple TV+, Apple Music and Apple Arcade as a minimum). There are now multiple tiers of Apple One membership, with the cheapest starting at £16.95 per month in the UK, €16.95 in Europe, and $16.95 in the US.
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