“I call it the ‘No Super League’” – Nasser Al-Khelaifi aims subtle dig at Real Madrid and Barcelona over Super League
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has taken a dig at Barcelona and Real Madrid's Super League project.
The two Spanish giants, alongside 10 other clubs from different leagues, attempted to launch the Super League. The aim of the league was to invite some of the top teams across Europe to compete for the title.
However, the concept faced major backlash from fans and pundits as it promoted the exclusivity of clubs outside the top 12. The 'Big Six' clubs from the Premier League perhaps faced the most backlash and bowed out of the Super League and so did other clubs.
Real Madrid and Barcelona, however, aimed to relaunch the project earlier this year with Juventus. The Italian side eventually parted ways but the two Spanish giants are going ahead with their attempt to launch the Super League.
PSG president Al-Khelaifi recently took a dig at Barca and Los Blancos, saying (via PSG Talk):
"I call it the ‘No Super League’. Nobody wants to do it. We don’t care what they do. They are on the outside. Before there were three teams, now there are two…”
The new iteration of the Super League, if it goes through, is expected to have 80 teams, with 14 games guaranteed per team (via Forbes).
Real Madrid and Barcelona make unbeaten start to 2023-24 campaign
The Blaugrana won the La Liga title by a massive 10 points last season. They have begun their title defense in a decent manner despite an early hiccup.
Barcelona played out a goalless draw at Getafe in their opening game of the 2023-24 season. They bounced back to beat Cadiz 2-0 at home in their next game before winning a seven-goal thriller at Villarreal 4-3.
Xavi Hernandez's side beat Osasuna 2-1 in their final game before the international break. They are currently third in the La Liga table, two points behind leaders Real Madrid, who have had a perfect start to the season.
Los Blancos started their 2023-24 season with three away games at Athletic Club, Almeria, and Celta Vigo, winning 2-0, 3-1 and 1-0 respectively. They then beat Getafe 2-1 in their first game at the new-look Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid will next host Real Sociedad on September 17 while Barcelona will host Real Betis the previous day.