Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez who is most likely to be the first chairman of the European Super League, says the controversial league came to save football.
Florentino Perez is seen as one of the brains behind the formation of the European Super League. He and his team have succeeded in bringing together 12 top clubs including Real Madrid to compete in the money-spinning league.
The league is perceived as a rebellious act against the growth of football in the world which has attracted criticism from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, UK Prime Minister, Baron Johnson, and a host of other top football stakeholders.
Earlier today, UEFA president, Aleksander described the proposed Super League as “a nonsense of a project” against which football associations are united.
He said: “We are all united against this nonsense of a project. I cannot stress more strongly how everyone is united against these disgraceful, self-serving proposals, fuelled by greed above all else.
“[It is a] cynical plan, completely against what football should be. We cannot and will not allow that to change.
“Players who will play in the teams that might play in the closed league will be banned from the World Cup and Euros. We urge everyone to stand tall with us as we do everything in our power to ensure this never ends up in fruition.
“This idea is a spit in the face of all football lovers. We will not allow them to take it away from us.”
Despite Aleksander’s assertion about the European Super League, Florentino Perez noted that young people are “no longer interested in football” due to “a lot of poor quality games”.
He insisted that top clubs in Europe have been losing money which the introduction of the Super League would put an end to. “Whenever there is change, there are always people who oppose it,” he added.
Florentino Perez noted that the plan of UEFA to expand the UEFA Champions League to 36-team from 2024-2025 season is “absurd”, and not what should be practiced in this era of football.
“We are doing this to save football at this critical moment,” Perez told Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones.
“If we continue with the Champions League there is less and less interest and then it’s over.
“The new format which starts in 2024 is absurd. In 2024, we are all dead…
“In the ’50s, it was a similar situation. Uefa and Fifa went against the new European Cup, but that competition changed football.”
FIFA President on super league: “There is no doubt of FIFA’s disapproval. FIFA is here and I am here today as FIFA President to bring full support to European football, to UEFA, the 55 member associations of UEFA and of FIFA, to the leagues, clubs, players and to the fans." pic.twitter.com/VJShc9Wonf
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) April 20, 2021
