A recent report from four English clubs says that £175 million has been offered for each of them to play in a new Dream Football League team in Qatar along with other countries in the Gulf in 2015. Qatar will host games where Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal will be playing against foreign opponents.
Qatari organisers have planned astonishing projects that could completely change the footballing map around the world if it gains enough support. The funds are much higher than those available to Champions League teams, which has an annual prize of £595 million.
The plans, which will be released next month, will see these teams earn over four times that amount for simply accepting the invitation to compete in the matches in the Gulf. The four Premier League teams will be enticed to join the permanent DFL members, currently 16, plus eight other clubs worldwide which would compete on an invitational basis.
The DFL would take place over the next two years, according to a Times article, and the European Clubs Association has not yet replied to these proposals. It does remain unlikely that existing football teams would change their calendar or money structures even though these new offers are so much higher.
Right now, Qatar associations are considered as outsiders before they enter the 2022 Fifa World Cup, but their investment in elite teams from sovereign funds in Barcelona and other regions show a strong commitment to become a presence in football. Qatar Sports recently completed a complete takeover of the Paris Saint-Germain as well.