“The situation is so serious that everyone agrees to carry out this project and find a solution.
No one came under pressure ”.
At the end of the day, this Tuesday, Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, presented in the columns of L'Équipe the Super League project.
A polished, precise speech, similar to the speeches of the day before the leader on Spanish television or the secretary general of this Super League in Paris.
But that was before.
Before the reality of a totally crazy Tuesday night, during which media around the world showered with information almost ending the Super League, less than 48 hours after its creation.
Read alsoSuper League: how the project turned into a fiasco in 48 hours
Difficult to follow as the leaders of the 12 founding clubs of the new competition seemed united in the night from Sunday to Monday, with a joint press release and then individual announcements by each entity.
This Tuesday, people close to the Super League organization still shouted: "We will go to the end because the process is committed and engaging".
And then, shortly after 8 pm, panic: Chelsea, Manchester City, Atlético de Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United… One by one, the founding members of the Super League would like to withdraw, according to various media.
“Intox” or “it's wrong”, we answer within the organization.
He would like to calm the spirits
Two hours later, a crisis meeting was held by videoconference, piloted from Madrid (Spain), where the project was born from the hands of Florentino Pérez. The latter is the most determined of all in the company of the Italian Andrea Agnelli, boss of Juventus and former president of the European Club Association (ECA). 10:23 p.m. French time, the Super League officially loses one of its members: Manchester City explains its exit in a press release. All in the middle of a round table. The meeting also takes place at a time when Chelsea, the club concerned, received Brighton in the Premier League.
How to continue? Florentino Pérez would like to calm things down and come up with a solution in a year. The boss of Real and his entourage recall that "contracts" have been signed. “Nobody can leave,” swore the Spaniard Monday night on Spanish television. Before 11 p.m. this Tuesday, radio Cope announced the end of the meeting of the 12 with the maintenance of Atlético and Barça. Then City announced their official withdrawal, followed by United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool. But while at the start of the day Pérez was trying to rally PSG or Bayern Munich to the project, he now seeks especially now to retain the presents.