UEFA recalled Wednesday morning its opposition to a "European Superleague" project while Josep Maria Bartomeu, resigning president of FC Barcelona, confirmed for the first time on Tuesday the existence of such a project, an old favorable sea serpent to big clubs.
The boss of European football, Aleksander Ceferin, "has made it clear on several occasions that UEFA strongly opposes a Superleague," said the European body questioned by
AFP.
When throwing in the towel at the head of Barça, Josep Maria Bartomeu announced to the press that the Catalan club had agreed to participate "in a future European Superleague between football clubs", formalizing the existence of this league project closed or semi-closed reserved for the leaders of the continent.
This old idea of European football, which would allow the big clubs to limit the sporting hazard and share the cake of TV rights, directly competes with the Champions League and the Europa League organized under the auspices of UEFA with a principle of meritocracy and European qualification through national championships.
"The principles of solidarity, promotion, relegation and open leagues are non-negotiable."
“The principles of solidarity, promotion, relegation and open leagues are non-negotiable.
This is what makes European football work and what makes the Champions League the best sports competition in the world, ”replied UEFA.
The European confederation refuses to "destroy" its queen competition and ensures that a "superleague of 10, 12, or even 24 clubs" would become "inevitably boring" by removing the risk that outsiders jostle the European hierarchy.
Denying press information evoking its support for a possible Superleague, Fifa refers for its part to the words of Gianni Infantino last week: "as president of Fifa, I am interested in the Club World Cup, not in the Superleague ”, he assured in an interview with the Swiss daily
Aargauer Zeitung.
"What matters to me is not Bayern against Liverpool, but Bayern against Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires", he had developed, assuring that he wanted to give "clubs outside Europe" a "global influence".
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Barça: President Bartomeu resigns ... and says yes to the European Superleague