The situation
Bernd Reichart, the CEO of A22, the company that provides institutional support to the Super League, has announced on Toni Kroos’ podcast that he will travel to Nyon next week to speak with UEFA. “That is what I understand by dialogue, that the other party is listened to and we can confront ideas . Surely we will not be able to agree on everything. But it’s a good sign for clubs who are perhaps still shying away at the moment or even fearing sanctions if they engage in dialogue. UEFA’s commitment that an open dialogue on the future of football should be possible is a positive sign.” The mere fact of receiving the Super League at its headquarters in Nyon is already a step forward for UEFA, although sources close to the organization insist that it is not their desire to discuss competition models or any other strategic issue . Reichart himself suspects something about it, who nevertheless confirms that the meeting “is a beginning.” The CEO of A22, who is de facto the visible face of the Super League together with its president, Florentino Pérez, and its general secretary, Anas Laghrari , believes that, in addition to the competition formulas, the distribution of income or the irregular application of the rules of Financial Fair Play, we must talk about other sensitive issues, such as the calendar.“I also think that the health of the players is incredibly important – playing more and more games is not an option at all . That is why we must talk to the other competitions”, Reichart affirms precisely in the season in which the World Cup in Qatar, in the middle of winter, supposes an extraordinary added effort for the footballers.
The details
In the same podcast, Reichart adds that according to the Super League’s criteria, “ European football is not realizing its potential at the moment. It can offer better matches and better competitions in Europe. We are concerned about the economic ecosystem of the clubs, which are currently under financial pressure, and we believe that the European club competition should be organized by the clubs themselves, as is done in the national leagues”. According to Reichart, “the Premier is taking advantage of the rest of the championships and an imbalance is taking place”. “These are issues that need to be studied”, added the CEO of A22, who definitively stated that “ the Super League is not a closed competition nor does it have permanent members”. With this declaration, the Super League makes it clear that, in its formula, progress will be made or not according to sporting merits.