The term "Super League" will send a shiver down many football fans' spines, with bad memories of the spring of 2021.
The proposals for a breakaway European football league, bringing together the biggest clubs in Europe to exclusively play against each other, with no threat of relegation, understandably drawing the fury of football fans around the world.
Six Premier League clubs were involved, as well as clubs from Italy and Spain, with Real Madrid one of the leading proponents of the proposed changes.
Two years on, new proposals have been tabled for a breakaway league, which would see no permanent members, and relegation and promotion included. The proposals are still deeply unpopular, but one of Real's key men has spoken out in favour of them.
Super League: Real Madrid man Toni Kroos in favour of proposal
German midfielder Toni Kroos has been at the heart of Real Madrid's excellence over the past decade, winning four Champions League medals with the club to add to his 2013 title with Bayern Munich.
Toni Kroos with his Champions League medal after the 2018 final against Liverpool (Photo: Shuttersock)
Kroos also presents his own podcast in his spare time, and has made some rather surprising comments about the Super League.
Despite his success in the Champions League, Kroos has spoken in favour of the latest Super League proposals, suggesting that the narrative surrounding the breakaway league is being controlled by UEFA, and that fans should listen to both sides.
Kroos slammed UEFA, saying they are "no great Samaritan" for football, in talking up the appeal of a Super League:
I think we will see the Super League, and I believe so for several reasons. The idea of the Super League has changed and deserves to be heard.
If you look carefully from both angles, you will see that UEFA is by no means a great Samaritan for football fans and that the Super League has no plans, at least in the second attempt, to exclude any team, because there will be no permanent founding members.
It is a sports competition, an open tournament, but managed by the clubs and not by UEFA, because these clubs believe that they do not need UEFA for that. I think this deserves at least one chance.
Aside from the greed and cash-grabbing displayed in the initial Super League frenzy, one of the most regular criticisms pinned at it was the insular competitive nature of the 14-team league.
We all love watching the biggest clubs play each other on the biggest stage, and Kroos' Real Madrid will face Liverpool in a mouthwatering Champions League tie next week. But these games have that appeal because they are special, rare occasions, and because of how much is riding on them.
Despite this, Kroos has suggested that fans would not tire of seeing the best teams play each other week-in-week-out, drawing comparison to individual sports:
Although we have already talked about the loss of passion for football, I believe that the Super League has the opportunity to reverse that situation. Let there be more enthusiasm and emotion for the games that we will be able to see.
Because, in the end, let's not fool ourselves. Many people always say, 'who wants to see Real Madrid v Manchester City every week?' But have you gotten tired of watching Federer against Nadal over and over again? I don't. That's my opinion.
I think we can attract the fans and get them back to football, and it could also bring a completely different enthusiasm to the neutral fan, because these matches are not only watched by the supporters of the clubs, but also by neutral fans.
With UEFA introducing contentious Champions League reforms for the 2024-25 season, there will no doubt be a reignited Super League debate, and it now seems as though some players are starting to change their minds on the controversial proposals.
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