Over the past few days, plans have been unveiled for a new tournament for the direct rival of the Champions League, which will include the 12 most prominent clubs in Europe.
A competition that everyone wants to see
European Super League general secretary Anas Laghrari defended the competition by insisting that the world’s best players will have the chance to play against each other regularly. Over the past few days, plans have been unveiled for a new tournament for the direct rival of the Champions League, which will include the 12 most prominent clubs in Europe. After widespread condemnation, Laghrari sought to explain the reasoning behind the Super League by insisting that they create a tournament that “makes people dream”. “We want to create a programme for the best football. A tournament that everyone wants to see that makes fans dream,” Anas told reporters.
The Super League founders ask UEFA for a dialogue
“The younger generations are less interested in this sport, and they focus on playing on their console or whatever and only go to the big games. But these big games rarely happen. There is also disappointment among players who want to play these big games against the great players. Neymar dreamed of playing with Lionel Messi. He was injured in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League round of 16 and may never be able to play against Messi again. We are ready to sit at the table with UEFA, ask only for a dialogue. In case of disagreement? Everything could start in five months”. In addition to Barcelona, LaLiga will also be represented in the European Super League by Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid, with Juventus, Inter and Milan completing the Serie A group.
Modern football is an area that doesn’t make money
The Premier League clubs make up the final six places, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham. Still, three more founding clubs want to join in the coming weeks. Bayern Munich, BVB and Porto have denied participating in the breakaway, but Laghrari insists that no one has wholly rejected the offer so far. “Nobody turned down an invitation at this stage,” he said. Further, Laghrari expressed his conviction that the current format of the Champions League does not provide the top clubs with sufficient financial support. “Football is an area that doesn’t make money. There is real frustration with this unstable system based on the results of the club in the Champions League,” he said.
“A manager makes a three-year plan, but he may have a difference of several hundred million euros depending on the results. We have a solidarity committee that will oversee the allocation of funds and ensure transparency. We are talking about €400 million, and it’s huge.”