“The Super League is far from dead. It’s very much alive. We are eager to improve football, and for that, we communicate with all parties. We want to bring back in football the enthusiasm and give it a better economic structure.”
Reichart wants to bring back the enthusiasm for football
A22 Sports Management CEO Bernd Reichart was present at the New Economy Forum to explain the Super League’s position following the report of the Advocate General of the Luxembourg Court. On his side are Florentino Perez and Joan Laporta, the presidents of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who remain the two power structures behind the project. “The Super League is far from dead. It’s very much alive,” Reichart said. “We are eager to improve football, and for that, we communicate with all parties. We want to bring back in football the enthusiasm and give it a better economic structure. The UEFA system has been around for the last 70 years. We have spoken to 30 clubs in the last few weeks, and they are losing their fear. They want to changes in management and financial control.”
UEFA can’t be everything at the same time
The CEO of A22 highlights the changing times and the need to update football competitions. “A young man watches 10 hours of football and plays 300 hours of FIFA,” he stated. “They are asking for better games. The Champions League pre-match generates more than six times more viewership than any of these non-matching games. We don’t want football to be watched on TikTok. We need the Super League to be the best European Cup. Some reports say it is the premier league, but we’re working on creating better competition.” When Reichart argued about what UEFA had done that was so bad for the sport, Reichart argued that the governing body was trying to control too much. “It’s not a binding opinion. UEFA can’t be everything at the same time. It’s a judge and a jury. It regulates and admits participants. It’s incredible,” Reichart explained.
“UEFA decides who gets access to the market or not. We are working on this opinion. It has to open the market and set the rules. This is recognized in the report.”
Football is on the edge of competition law
Reichart also talked about the current football landscape compared to years ago and the consumption of the sport. “The fans’ interest has changed; football is not only competing with cycling or basketball but also competing with Netflix. We have to present the best football,” he argued. On the other hand, the CEO has once again made it evident that the message is reaching many clubs despite initial protests. “We are not excluding anyone or anything. The clubs realized that this case could change the European sports system,” he added. “It’s incredible that sport is on the edge of competition law. It can’t be that teams have to bear all the risks, and they don’t have to bear anything. Incredibly, some clubs participate in closed or almost closed competitions like the Euro League, saying that the Super League is exclusive when it’s not there. Today it’s a European project.”
The message sent yesterday by LaLiga President Javier Tebas also did not go unnoticed by A22’s leader. “Every time Tebas speaks, we know more about our project. He even talks about a specific format when it’s not there. The La Liga president keeps talking about a closed project when it’s not. The general counsel is open about what to play, create and participate in other competitions. It’s legal. No one is talking about not playing in the national leagues. I don’t understand the president of LaLiga,” he mused. “UEFA thinks it’s the United Nations. Some competitions question their own legitimacy and adapt to the times.”