It seems that plans for the rebirth of the infamous European Super League are well back on track
The UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has once again come out to denounce the European Super League. Last year 12 European clubs came out with the astonishing announcement of playing a new tournament, replacing the UCL.
However, the now infamous competition, the European Super League was met with widespread resistance. The fans, UEFA, FIFA and local leagues all combined and put a halt to their plans.
Part of those ‘founding’ 12 clubs were Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs.
Due to the resistance, English clubs quickly pulled out of the plan. Owners quickly issued apologies, especially Liverpool’s John Henry.
Arsenal’s announcement saw fans protest outside the stadium, sparking one of the biggest football movements. The backlash proved to be too much for the 12 clubs to handle, announcing to step away from the plan.
That was true for all but three clubs. The three European juggernauts of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus. They had been planning to relaunch the Super League, after tweaking a few rules.
UEFA President is furious with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus
However, these developments have left UEFA’s president Ceferin absolutely furious.
“First they try to launch during a pandemic, now we hear that they are trying to launch in the middle of a war.”
“First they try to launch during a pandemic, now we hear that they are trying to launch in the middle of a war. Do I have to speak more about these people? They obviously live in a parallel world.
“While we are saving players together with other stakeholders, while we are working to help in a terrible situation, they work on a project like that.
“One of them even called me after and apologised. Now they go again. To them fans are customers, for us fans are fans. It is interesting that they are criticising UEFA and ECA, one of them (Gianni Agnelli) was chairman of the ECA. Fans aren’t important to them as fans launched a petition, they don’t care about that.
“Let me just say that they can play their own competition, nobody forbids them that. But if they play their own competition they cannot play our competition.”
“I don’t have a problem with them [Juve, Barca and Real].” Ceferin said all this to Le Journal du Dimanche, while speaking at Financial Times’ Business of Football Summit.
On Arsenal’s end, the idea of the Super League was pretty much scrapped off last year.
However, after Covid-19 losses and much positive revisions to the project, it may require some consideration.
Josh Kroenke didn’t outright deny or confirm it, when he was asked if European football needed some readjustments. However, he did reaffirm that European Super League plans were off the table.
He said, “As that proposal was constructed, yes.”