ROME. Aug 7 (Reuters): A much-touted European soccer Super League is to kick- off in 200 with 32

clubs and a jackpot prize of 100 billion lire (57.3 million dollars) for the winner. Italian newspaper. Tuttosport reported on Thursday.

It said the teams would play in two groups of 16 with the top four sides from each group qualifying for quarterfinals. The competition would then progress on a knockout basis with home and away matches, like the present European Cup.

Italy's top sides declined to comment on the report.

Tuttosport, in an unsourced article, said teams would reap a minimum of 40 billion lire (22.7 million dollars) for their participation in the rebel league — more than Real Madrid earned for winning the UEFA-organised European Cup last season.

It said half of the 32 teams would be permanent members of the new league while the others would be Invited in on a seasonal basis.

It named the 16 permanent • clubs as: Inter Milan. Juventus. AC Milan (Italy): .Manchester United. Arsenal. Liverpool. (England): Bayern Munich, Bourussia Dortmund (Germany): Paris St Germain and Olympique Marseille (France): Real Madrid and Barcelona (Spain): Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands): Panathinaikos (Greece): Benfica (Portugal): Anderlecht (Belgium).

Tne Turin-based paper, owned by the Agenelli family which also controls Juventus,

said the architects behind the Super League were Rodolfo Hecht, a former director of Italian satellite television company Telepiu. and Media partners, a marketing company with offices in Milan.

British media reports have also linked Hecht and Media Partners to the proposals, which have been discussed in private in London by some of Europe's biggest clubs in recent weeks.

Tuttosport said the Super League project, which would be worth 2.0 trillion lire (1.1 billion dollars) per season in television rights, was codenamed "operation gandalf'.

AC Milan and Inter Milan declined to comment on the report while no one was available for comment at Juventus, the other Italian side named as possible Super League contenders.

We have nothing to say about it. No comment." an AC

Milan spokesman said, adding that Milan were not represented at the recent London talks.

No one was available to comment at Lazio, one of the other big-spending ambitious clubs likely to feature in any future elite European competition. The team are currently in Portugal for a friendly tournament.

Tuttosport said the Super League would be accompanied by two cup competitions, the Procup and another competition which had not yet been named. They would replace the emt UEFA Cup and Cup

ers’ Cup. tire paper said.

All European matches would be played between Tuesday and Thursday as at present, leaving national championship, albeit short of their best teams, to play at weekends.

It said winners of the current domestic cup competitions would gain automatic entry to the Procup.