MADRID, 8 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
UEFA has shown this Tuesday its “opposition” to “breakthrough projects”, after meeting in Nyon (Switzerland) with the new CEO of A22 Sports Management, Bernd Reichart, the one in charge of establishing a dialogue with the world of football in search of reforms in club competitions and representative of the three clubs that promote the European Super League project, according to a statement.
“UEFA reaffirms its opposition to disruptive projects. UEFA’s top officials, led by its president, Aleksander Ceferin, and senior representatives from national leagues, clubs, players and fans, together underlined that opposition to the self-proclaimed ‘Superliga’ remains overwhelming today, as it has been since April 2021,” the body said in a note issued after the match.
In this meeting, in addition to the aforementioned Aleksander Ceferin and the representatives of A22 Sports Management -Bernd Reichart, Anas Laghrari and John Hahn-, Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga; Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of the European Club Association (ECA), member of the UEFA Executive Committee and president of PSG; Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, member of the Board of Directors of the ECA and CEO of Atletico de Madrid; David Aganzo, president of FIFPRO; in addition to representatives of the Premier League, German, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese clubs.
In its statement, UEFA “and participating football stakeholders” again “unanimously rejected the logic behind projects such as the European Super League”. “The participants took note, with surprise, of the affirmations of the general director of A22 Sports in the sense that this company does not represent any club in any capacity, including the three clubs that continue to openly support the project”, criticized the governing body. of European football.
“UEFA and football stakeholders remain committed to the fundamentals of European football, which are based on openness, solidarity and meritocracy and serve the broader goals of sporting principles and the interest of society, rather than to be based on privileges and their own rights”, he pointed out about the purpose of the competition led by Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus.
UEFA recalled in its note that its approach to this situation “has received the unanimous support of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and broad support from national governments, public institutions and stakeholders. from across the continent.”
Thus, he warned that European football will remain “firmly united” for the “positive future” development of competitions and society. In the same way, the organization assured that in the second Convention on the Future of European Football at the end of this week “constructive dialogue” will prevail, addressing issues such as “good governance and competitiveness to the development of women’s football”.
For its part, also through a statement, A22 Sports Management applauded the dialogue with UEFA at Tuesday’s meeting in Nyon (Switzerland), “an important signal for clubs and fans throughout Europe.” “We need to talk and that is always welcome, even if it is sometimes complicated,” lamented the note.
“The ‘status quo’ is satisfactory for UEFA. This positioning was to be expected, as UEFA has been the sole and dominant player in European club competitions since 1955. This monopoly structure is being examined by the European Court of Justice. European Union, the conclusions of which are expected to be announced in the spring of 2023,” the company said.
A22 listed a number of “problems” in European club football today, such as the “governance and organization” of competitions; the “failure of club football to reach its full potential”; the “lack of adequate financial controls”; high prices for amateurs; investments “necessary for women’s football”; infrastructures and, “with special importance, solidarity”.
According to the company, these problems “will not go away by themselves”, which is why it insisted on its “total” commitment to “open competitions based on sporting merits”. At the same time, he stressed that the national leagues must play a “fundamental role, fully complementary to the new format.”
“The current dialogue with clubs and football players about the future of European club competitions must be held in an environment free from threats and other coercion. In addition, A22 has asked UEFA to refrain from carrying them out for clubs, and not only clubs, can freely exchange ideas on important reforms. UEFA provided guarantees that this will be the case,” the statement concluded.
After that meeting, the CEO of A22 -a company established to sponsor and assist the creation of the European Super League-, Bernd Reichart, stressed that “freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas are fundamental rights”. “Despite the position taken by UEFA, A22 will continue to strive to reform football, nurtured by the views of a wide range of football stakeholders including clubs, fans, players, governments and many more,” he added. .
“We are particularly motivated that clubs have contacted us, clubs with whom we are talking and who want to take part in this dialogue to develop sustainable foundations for European club football,” said Reichart, who is “looking forward” to continuing with your “engagement”. “The soccer community is eager to talk about its future and has very concrete ideas for change,” he settled in statements included in the statement.
