The new European Super League Company has revealed it has already launched legal action to try to prevent retaliatory moves amid widespread condemnation of the plans.

The bombshell announcement came on Sunday that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and six other European clubs have agreed to create a rival competition to the Champions League.

It is anticipated three more clubs will join the breakaway group as founding members, with the new competition, which will begin “as soon as practicable”, to eventually feature 20 teams.

News of the breakaway competition leaked out before it was officially announced and had already provoked a fierce backlash from UEFA and various national leagues and associations.

World governing body FIFA expressed “its disapproval to a ‘closed European breakaway league’ outside of the international football structures” and called for “all parties involved in heated discussions to engage in calm, constructive and balanced dialogue for the good of the game”.

UEFA, along with the Football Associations of England, Spain and Italy, plus the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A, said they would use all available means to stop the “cynical project”.

LaLiga added in a statement on Monday: “The newly proposed top European competition is nothing more than a selfish, egotistical proposal designed to further enrich the already super rich.

“It will undermine the appeal of the whole game and have a deeply damaging impact on the immediate and future of LaLiga, its member clubs, and all the entire footballing ecosystem.”