Laporta defends the Superliga to end the distortion of state clubs

The president of Barcelona, ​​Joan Laporta.Joan Monfort (AP)

The Super League is still alive.

At least, for Real Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona.

This was endorsed by the president of the Barça entity, Joan Laporta.

"It makes me laugh when the state clubs say that the Super League clubs are the rich ones", it started in the Assembly of compromising partners.

And it was a step further.

The Barça top manager also stressed that "nobody puts a brake" on institutions such as Manchester City and PSG.

“On the contrary”, added Laporta;

“What UEFA does is give them more power.

This is why we support the Super League.

For a more even competition to compete with each club with its resources and without the distortion of state clubs.

The clubs will govern our destiny.

Have no doubt that it would be an open league, based on meritocracy and respecting the state leagues."

It was not Laporta's only complaint against UEFA.

“We have all been very angry this week.

The arbitration that we suffered against Inter was shameful.

It was such a big scandal... I think UEFA has to look at it.

The VAR room referee had already refereed us against Bayern and had not seen another penalty against Dembélé.

The Super League will be much more professional, a problem that distorts the market will be addressed and it will be more professional,” said the president.

It happens that Laporta and his Superliga partners trust the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

“If the EU resolution is favourable, we will be able to work without pressure to propose a competition format that everyone likes”, stated the Barça president.

On December 15, the resolution of the CJEU will be known that will determine if there is a situation of abuse due to a dominant position by UEFA and FIFA regarding the control of television rights and the competence to organize and authorize competitions.

"Soon there will be news, with the entire football family we will find solutions to this football problem, for all clubs," insisted the Catalan lawyer.

“Nadal and Federer have played 40 times in 15 years.

Is this boring?

These clashes have boosted tennis.

We have only met Liverpool nine times in 67 years.

UEFA reforms the Champions League in the opposite direction, increasing inconsequential matches.

His new model will serve to speed up decline”, recalled Florentino Pérez, last week, at the Real Madrid Assembly.

In a joint communication strategy, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli endorsed the Super League in a letter sent to its shareholders this week.

“Until the end…” he posted.

The optimism of the creators of the Super League - only Madrid, Juve and Barça remain after the English clubs, Atlético, Milan and Inter have defected - contrasts with the opinion of Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA.

“We have three club presidents who continue to claim something for their egos, but, on the other hand, they were the first to sign up for the Champions League for fear of being kicked out.

The Super League is dead”, remarked Ceferin.

The financial JP Morgan still has 4,000 million euros ready to invest in the Super League.

A bet that for Barça would have translated into 700 million, an economic balm for a club that was in "technical bankruptcy", according to the current board, when Laporta took over the reins of the club in March 2021. "While the Superliga is not can implement, we cannot stand still.

That is why we have activated some economic levers”, said the president.

The club sold 25% of the television rights and 49% of Barça Studios.

“Levers are exceptional measures, at exceptional times.

Today, with the ratification of the levers, we send a message that Barça is owned by its partners, and we are the ones who decide the present and future of Barça”, said Laporta.

Both operations, which were approved by the Assembly, allowed the club both to finish last season with 98 million profits and to present a budget with 274 profits.

The compromising partners also gave their approval to the exercise of the 2021-2022 campaign (548 votes in favor, 43 against and 24 blank) and to the club's business plan for the 2022-2023 academic year (478 votes in favor, 35 against and 15 blank).

“Remember the figure of 1,350 million debt, which we have been able to take to 1,000 million debt.

An important job has been done, although I would like more.

And we have generated profits from day one," said Eduard Romeu, Barcelona's economic vice president.

The club urgently seeks to reduce expenses, especially the wage bill of the first team.

The Achilles heel for the Barça accounts.

"We have tried to balance the wage bill by trying to encourage the departure of several players," recalled Laporta.

"There were many salaries outside the market," added Mateu Alemany, director of football.

According to the executive, a problem that he has not yet been able to solve.

“Most of these salaries do not exist now.

And those who follow cannot leave because no one can pay them," Alemany closed.

A message for the assembly members, but, above all, a message for Sergio Busquets, Gerard Piqué and Jordi Alba.

Between the three captains they take close to 120 million per year, 22% of the soccer wage bill: 550. If all sections are taken into account, the club's sports cost in salaries plus amortizations amounts to 656. "It has cost a lot get here.

Between all of us we have saved the Club, but we must continue working on this change in trend to consolidate it”, concluded Joan Laporta.

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