UEFA blasts European Super League
Print Edition
UEFA has repeated its 鈥渟trong opposition鈥 to a European Super League after the controversial project received a surprise shot in the arm from Josep Maria Bartomeu as he stood down as Barcelona president.
In a resignation bombshell on Tuesday night, Bartomeu declared that one of his last acts as the Catalan team鈥檚 chief had been to accept a proposal for Barcelona to play in 鈥渁 future European Super League鈥 which 鈥渨ould guarantee the financial stability of the club.鈥
The notion of a splinter league for the continent鈥檚 high rollers first surfaced through a series of leaked emails and documents in November 2018 claiming that a host of Europe鈥檚 biggest clubs were working on plans for a 16-team Super League to kick off as early as 2021.
The idea was knocked on the head by European football boss Aleksander Ceferin the following February. He vowed that while he and Andrea Agnelli, president of the European Club Association, were in office 鈥渢here will be no Super League. This is not a promise. It is a fact.鈥
Responding to Bartomeu鈥檚 admission for the first time of the project鈥檚 existence UEFA said that Ceferin 鈥渉as clearly indicated on several occasions UEFA is strongly opposed to a Super League.鈥
Any Super League involving only Europe鈥檚 wealthiest clubs would be in direct conflict with the UEFA-run Champions League and Europa League, competitions open to any team based on their domestic league performances.
鈥淭he principles of solidarity, promotion, relegation and of open leagues are non-negotiable,鈥 UEFA said. 鈥淭his is what is behind European football and makes the Champions League the best sporting competition in the world.鈥
European football鈥檚 ruling body said it refused to 鈥渄estroy鈥 its crown jewel, pointing out that 鈥渁 superleague of 10, 12 or even 24 clubs鈥 with the risk of outsiders crashing the party would become 鈥渋nevitably boring.鈥
Last week FIFA President Gianni Infantino denied his purported support of a Super League, telling a Swiss newspaper that 鈥淚鈥檓 interested in the Club World Cup, not the Superleague.鈥
鈥淲hat attracts me is not Bayern against Liverpool, but Bayern against Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires,鈥 he said, adding that he wanted to give clubs outside Europe 鈥渁 global dimension.鈥
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
