The European Super League was an idea that was made public in 2021 and was immediately scrapped by many teams after much backlash from fans all over the world. With an initial 12-team plan, all except for two teams left.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are the remaining teams who still dream of making the Super League a reality one day. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez still believes it will be a better option than UEFA.
Florentino Perez goes on the offensive against UEFA
Real Madrid recently held their annual General Assembly for Socios today. As customary, the President of the club, Florentino Perez, gave a long speech, and he had some harsh words, especially for UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, who are also the organizers of the prestigious tournament, the Champions League.
According to MARCA, he emphasized the need of a Super League that will not be subjected under any organization such as UEFA and that fans’ wishes are not being thought of properly. He said, “The main problem is that there are people in charge who act without thinking about the fans. European football does not belong to the president of UEFA nor the Spanish one or that of LaLiga. The Super League is more necessary than ever. The objective is to offer the best football and it is the clubs that have to control their destiny.”
🚨🚨🎙️| Florentino Perez: “European football does not belong to the president of UEFA. The Super League is needed more than ever. The goal is to offer better football and the clubs are the ones who should control their destiny.” pic.twitter.com/pQf8pi7LpG
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) November 11, 2023
He also emphasized the need for stern Financial Fair Play rules, something which has been a serious topic within UEFA in recent times. “And I demand more rules for Financial Fair Play, which some clubs fail to comply with without any consequences.”
He also criticized the new format UEFA will implement from next year, which will start off with a single group stage with more teams. He said it will alienate fans of the sport, “The new UEFA format is an unusual and absurd project. This model will further alienate fans of our sport and especially the youngest ones.”
Florentino Perez and his Super League demands
Real Madrid was one of the 12 founding members of the European Super League, a new European club competition. Due to its strict structures, which meant new teams wouldn’t be able to enter fairly, fans and organizations like FIFA and UEFA revolted. Ten teams left, with only Barcelona and Real Madrid remaining. Florentino Perez would have been the President of this new competition, and he had some demands for allowing it to happen, despite the backlash it received.
After UEFA and FIFA blocked the competition, the Super League authorities went to the European Court of Justice for a final verdict to allow the competition. That decision is set to finally come this December, and Perez has said it needs to be in their favor if football is to survive through a new era.
One of Perez’s demands for the new competition was the strict enforcement of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules according to the laws of the European Union, which will be done with ‘transparent and modern corporate governance structures.’ He has also emphasized the need for modernization and innovation, stating that fans need to feel more connected to the sport than ever, accusing UEFA of abandoning these ideals.
The competition also changed its format, with sporting performance in domestic leagues now a requirement. Also, there will be a multidivisional league where 60-80 teams would play. These changes were made to make the competition seem favorable to everyone. It remains to be seen whether the European Super League will be a reality soon.
