Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus still involved in European Super League project- Reports
As reported by AS, Inter Milan are leaving the European Super League, confirming that the infamous project that has Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus as key members is still alive.
Inter had been crafy enough to insert an exit plan into their agreement to join the proposed European competition.
The Nerazzurri have now moved to trigger the clause amidst growing pressure from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin for the courts to completely abolish the Super League.
Of the 12 original members that included AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur, only Inter insisted on an exit provision.
Now that Inter Milan have left, it leaves the other 11 members in limbo as to their next steps. Fans have protested loudly against running such a competition in Europe, while UEFA has warned of dire consequences for any participating clubs.
The Telegraph reported that each of the six Premier League clubs have already been fined about £3.6m and a suspended £25m plus a 30-point deduction should any of them be involved in a similar project again.
The Premier league and the FA noted that the six clubs had 'wholeheartedly apologized to their fans and fellow clubs'. However, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are yet to shelve their plans for an elite European Competition.
The Super League is back?
Run it back then. https://t.co/wS5fa82zib
Just this week, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli confirmed plans to relaunch remain in place amid ambitions to redraw the original format to attract more members. Among the proposed changes is a plan to scrub permanent membership.
Agnelli was in London to speak at the Financial Times Business of Football summit as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus await the verdict after challenging UEFA in the European Court of Justice.
Agnelli told the summit:
"Last year was the first time that not one, not two, not three, but 12 clubs made a very important statement that was a profound alarm to the system.”
"UEFA knew that I as Juventus president, was working on something different. The Super League is a collective work of 12 teams, not one person. 12 clubs signed a 120-page contract and it is still binding for 11 of those clubs."
"I place a lot of trust in the judges of the European Court of Justice, who are the true keepers of the European Union and European values."
"Any promoter should be allowed, in a free environment, to promote a product and then if people are qualified, invited, they can freely decide (to join) without being told no by a monopolistic operator, and the only gatekeeper for the industry."
Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus receive backlash from La Liga and UEFA
During the same summit, La Liga president Javier Tebas blasted Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus for their continued push to ratify the Super League.
He accused them of 'lying more than Putin' as reported by Goal.
"He [Agnelli] will have to explain it, if he doesn't explain it, he will be lying," Tebas began. "A week ago, I think it was in his house there was a meeting of the three teams."
"Now they are saying they don't want fixed slots, Real Madrid are saying they don't want the first slot. It is false. It is very difficult for the English teams to form part of this competition so they are creating a European league with two categories and the national leagues are the second categories."
"There will be two or three people relegated but there will always be the typical teams - Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid. It will be difficult for them to go down."
"They have made enemies of UEFA and the Premier League, whose growth goes against their model. We know this, we have got this information. They can say what they want but this is what they are working on."
"Every time I read about it, I get cross, I think they lie more than Putin to be honest."
Extraordinary scenes and tension at #FTFootball as La Liga head Javier Tebas calls out Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli (seated w back to me at front table in pic) and launches against the 3 clubs still pushing the Super League
“They lie more than Putin!”
🥶🥶🥶 https://t.co/nH8ILBbiFC
90min reported that Aleksander Ceferin additionally warned Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid that they would be banned from other European competitions should they follow through on their plan to reintroduce the Super League.
The UEFA president said:
"I am tired of talking about this nonsense. First they try to launch during a pandemic, now we hear that they are trying to launch in the middle of a war. Do I have to speak more about these people? They obviously live in a parallel world."
"While we are saving players together with other stakeholders, while we are working to help in a terrible situation, they work on a project like that."
"Let me just say that they can play their own competition, nobody forbids them that. But if they play their own competition, they cannot play our competition."
It remains to be seen whether Europe's stern warning will put off the three teams in their quest to dominate European football.