The front of the rebel companies is reduced, while Fifa and Uefa threaten measures
ROME. On the one hand, UEFA with its president, Aleksander Ceferin, who tries to extend his hand by inviting “the presidents of some clubs, mainly English”, to “change their minds”, on the other Florentino Perez who indicates the way in the Super League ” to save football “, while FIFA’s opposition is reiterated, with the president, Gianni Infantino, announcing that” the clubs will pay the consequences “.
Overcome, so to speak, the shock of the press release the other night, the ball (and not only) makes a wall. The 12 “splinter clubs” on the one hand, the rest of the world on the other. Meanwhile, a court in Madrid – reiterating what already happened years ago with the Euroleague and what was said yesterday by the lawyer Pierfilippo Capello on legal disputes – has issued a precautionary measure that prevents FIFA, UEFA, the Spanish Liga and the federations national football teams to take action against clubs that have announced membership of the Super League.
A prior request submitted last Friday by the European Superleague Company SL. The “salvific” aim of the Super League (which “could start already in five months, we are ready to sit down and talk to UEFA. Their threats of exclusion are not legal anyway” says the general secretary, Anas Laghrari) evoked by Perez is opposed from UEFA.
Ceferin spoke about it openly during the Montreaux executive: «They are trying to privatize football with the Super League – Ceferin’s words – But we are ready, we were waiting for them even if we did not know when they would arrive. Governments, fans, the media are with us. Will we let him take football? No, believe me, this is a game that we cannot lose. Football does not belong to anyone. Or rather, it belongs to everyone, because football is part of our heritage ».
The intervention of the # 1 of Uefa is tough, but leaves some openings to the 12 clubs. “You made a big mistake – Ceferin’s words Some might say it’s greed, ignorance or whatever, but it doesn’t matter, you still have time to change your mind. Everyone makes mistakes ». The European football confederation will meet again on Friday with the issue of the cities that will host the European Championship on the agenda and it is not excluded that the Superlega theme can be included among the topics: exclusions from the Champions League, sanctions as announced yesterday on the n .1 of the Danish Football Association Moller.
Decidedly tough, in his speech, Infantino: «Fifa is an organization built on values, the true values of sport. We can only strongly condemn the creation of a Super League, which is something closed, which is an escape from current football institutions. There is no doubt that Fifa disapproves of this project ».
A vision opposite to that of Perez, according to which «football must evolve and this format will guarantee us much more money. The Champions League – he ruled – has now lost its appeal ». Then the attack on UEFA: “Ceferin cannot insult as he did with Agnelli, he is unpresentable”. There is no shortage of rumors against, even among those who are in the pay of the Super League’s founding clubs, such as Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, one of the 12, who bluntly says that “when there is no relationship between employment and result, it is no longer sport ».
And the players are also moving: the Liverpool captain has called a meeting with the ‘colleagues of the Premier to take a united position, while the fans are on a war footing. Outside Stamford Bridge, Chelsea – another club involved – staged a protest against “greed in football”. THE
In fact, there seems to be some rethinking. According to the British media, Manchester City and Chelsea are faltering: Chelsea in particular are preparing the documentation to abandon the project. The anti-Super League front in England is strong and sees Boris Johnson at the forefront. The premier warns “the billionaire clubs” protagonists of the project that football is not just “commodity” and that there is a link between the teams, the fans, the territories. For Johnson, the Super League is a “closed cartel” operation, which does not respect sport. And the government is ready “if necessary” to stop it with “a legislative solution”, while hoping that the companies will correct the course on their own. (HANDLE).