The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, mentioned that if the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) rules that the position of UEFA and FIFA contradicts European regulations on competition, the football Super League could materialize in one or two years.
Laporta explained in an interview with EFE that if this happens, The first thing would be to start a dialogue with UEFA, giving them the opportunity to participate in this new competition. The time for the Super League to come to fruition would depend on this dialogue, but it is estimated that in one or two years it could be operational.
“If this happens, the first thing we have to do is start a period of reflection with UEFA. It has to be done like this. UEFA must have the opportunity to participate in this new competition. The speed of the project will depend on this dialogue, but in one or two years we could have the Super League up and running,” he argued.
The leader of the Catalan club, promoter along with Real Madrid of the Super League, expressed his willingness to dialogue with UEFA if the court in Luxembourg determines that the current club competitions in Europe They go against EU antitrust laws.
These statements from Laporta arise shortly before the CJEU issues its verdict. The court is expected to release its answers next Thursday, December 21, to questions posed by a Madrid court about whether FIFA and UEFA have violated EU antitrust rules by blocking the creation of the Super League.
For Laporta, if the sentence ends “with the existing monopoly in continental football”clubs could organize a new and more attractive competition for fans, with a beneficial economic injection for the participating teams.
The president of Barça pointed out the importance of creating a more equitable competitionhighlighting that if this problem is not solved, football could end up in the hands of state clubs or controlled by a small number of wealthy individuals and states.
“The aim is to make it more sustainableand that more clubs benefit from the competitions in which they participate. This problem exists and, if it continues on the same path, football will end up in the hands of state clubs or a few clubs dominated by private individuals, millionaires and states. This problem has to be redirected,” added Laporta.
The European Football Super League project, legally established as the Spanish company European Super League Company (ESLC)and promoted by A22 Sports Management, was presented in April 2021 with the initial support of several renowned clubs in Spain, England and Italy, such as Manchester United, Inter Milan or Atlético de Madrid.
However, the negative reaction of UEFA under the presidency of Aleksandr Ceferin, the opposition of FIFA led by Gianni Infantino, as well as the rejection of national federations, the European Club Association (ECA) and different governments or the European Commission , caused the withdrawal of many teams from the project.
Laporta reaffirmed that the Super League will promote “meritocracy with promotions and relegations”, which would improve sports competitiveness among participants. He highlighted that this new format is more attractive for fans, clubs and players in terms of competition and football consumption.
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