Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, the three clubs still involved in the proposed European Super League, denounced on Saturday the “intolerable” pressure put on them by UEFA to drop the project.
The three clubs, in a statement said that it would be highly irresponsible if, being aware of the needs and systemic crisis in the football sector, which led them (and other clubs) to announce the Super League, they abandon such mission to provide effective and sustainable answers to the existential questions that threaten the football industry.
In their statement, the clubs said that the Super League project was designed jointly by its 12 founding clubs with the aim of providing solutions to the current unsustainable situation in the football industry. The 12 founding clubs shared the same concerns -as other stakeholders in European football do-, particularly under the current socio-economic context, that structural reforms are indispensable to ensure our sport stays appealing and survives in the long-term.
The Super League was also designed to be operational with the utmost respect for the current football structures and ecosystem. In fact, they added that the founding clubs expressly agreed that the Super League would only take place if such a competition was recognised by UEFA and/or FIFA or if, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, it was deemed to be a competition duly compatible for all purposes with the continuity of the founding clubs in their respective domestic competitions.
Apart from that, the ESL had to bring financial stability to the entire European football family, currently under the effects of a deep crisis that threatens the survival of many clubs.
The three clubs reminded that the 12 founding clubs had acknowledged that the Super League was a unique opportunity to offer fans around the world the best possible show and to reinforce global interest in the sport, which is not a “given” and is challenged by new generational trends. Moreover, one of its main objectives was to promote women’s football on a global level, a tremendous, but currently underestimated, opportunity for the sector.
The expressed their ‘regret to see that our friends and founding partners of the Super League project have now found themselves in such inconsistent and contradictory position when signing a number of commitments to UEFA yesterday.’
However, the claimed that ‘given that the material issues that led the 12 founding clubs to announce the Super League weeks ago have not gone away, we reiterate that, to honour our history, to comply with our obligations towards our stakeholders and fans, for the good of football and for the financial sustainability of the sector, we have the duty to act in a responsible manner and persevere in the pursuit of adequate solutions, despite the unacceptable and ongoing pressures and threats received from UEFA.’
While, condemning the intolerable action that ‘founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats, and offences to abandon the project and therefore desist from their right and duty to provide solutions to the football ecosystem via concrete proposals and constructive dialogue, they reiterated to FIFA, UEFA and all football stakeholders, their commitment and firm will to discuss, with respect and without intolerable pressure and in accordance with the rule of law, the most appropriate solutions for the sustainability of the whole football family.
The nine clubs who pulled out of the Super League have agreed to “take all steps within their power” to end their involvement in the league.
They have been handed financial punishments by UEFA and have agreed to make a combined 15 million euros goodwill contribution to benefit youth and grassroots soccer across Europe
