Manchester United and Real Madrid are the alleged leaders behind football's breakaway Super League

As an example, the BBC reports United have stood down from the European Club Association and club executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has exited his roles with European governing body UEFA .

One reason behind the 12 named clubs joining is the desire for an NFL-type model, which sees a closed league with no threat of relegation.

Others see it more as leverage over UEFA, as they're unhappy with the new Champions League format.

Last year's finalists - Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain - are missing from the list.

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