(CNN)Betrayal has formed part of European politics since polities started forming -- just ask Julius Caesar, who asked "Et tu Brute?" as his friend stabbed him for the good of the Roman Republic.
Fast forward to April 2021 and the machinations behind the proposed European Super League (ESL) that would have turned the sport on its head, effectively discarding its flagship competition -- the Champions League -- are akin to a 'House of Cards' plot.
Driven by 12 of Europe's biggest clubs, the ESL intended to break away from European soccer governing body's UEFA to create their own competition containing 20 teams -- the founding members as well as three other permanent unnamed clubs and five others who would qualify every year.
In the Apple TV+ documentary "Super League: The War for Football," the decisions that led to the controversial proposal are presented as a "political thriller ... 96 sleepless hours over the course of four days," its Emmy-award winning director Jeff Zimbalist tells CNN Sports.