There is no “Not the slightest doubt” that the International Football Federation (FIFA) “Strongly disapprove” the Super League project, launched Monday April 19 by twelve dissident European clubs, which “Will have to suffer the consequences” of their rupture, affirmed, Tuesday, April 20, its president, Gianni Infantino.
This project wanting to supplant the Champions League is “A closed club”, “Dissident from existing institutions”, underlined the boss of FIFA at the opening of the annual congress of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
“Either you are inside or you are outside. You cannot be half in and half out ”, he added, once again raising the threat of the exclusion of dissident clubs and their players from all national and international competitions, without however citing concrete measures.
“You made a huge mistake”
“Promotions and relegations are a model that has been crowned with success”, again launched the leader, opposing this almost closed league system, where the founding clubs would have their ticket guaranteed each season, instead of having to qualify via the domestic championships.
Infantino’s speech at the UEFA congress was particularly awaited by the European football world, which will need FIFA to implement the reprisals he intends to inflict on secessionist clubs, such as the one, legally discussed, to ban their players from international competitions with their selections.
“There is still time to change your mind”, for his part, launched the boss of the UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, to the owners of the twelve dissident clubs. “You made a huge mistake”, But ” Everybody makes mistakes “, he added during the congress of the European football body, addressing in particular the six dissident English clubs and ensuring that the legal battles to come against the secessionists are “A battle that [l’UEFA] can’t lose ”.
Tuesday morning, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, also denounced this project. “The European sports model is a unique approach (…) based on the opening of a fair competition which gives priority to sporting merit. This model is threatened today (…), challenged by a purely profit-driven approach ”, he regretted.
