The tone is firm, the words weighed. Tuesday April 20, 45e congress of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). At the platform of the Montreux Palace, in Switzerland, Gianni Infantino delivers a speech expected across the continent. Solemn on the dais, the President of the International Football Federation (FIFA) “Strongly disapprove” the Super League project. A project “Dissident of existing institutions”, and therefore UEFA, organizer of the Champions League.
Without saying more, the boss of world football passes to threats: the twelve secessionist clubs (English, Italian and Spanish) “Will have to suffer the consequences” of their competition project, announced on the night of Sunday 18 to Monday 19 April, and disintegrated two days later, in the face of protests from a large part of the public.
On the day of the speech, the European congressmen can only applaud the unambiguous speech of Mr. Infantino. Still, many smirk. In the corridors of UEFA headquarters in Nyon (Switzerland), some voices point out that ” no one is fooled After Mr. Infantino’s statement.
Especially not Aleksander Ceferin, the president of UEFA, his “best enemy”. Behind the scenes, the two men are seen more as rivals than allies. Mr. Ceferin refrained from supporting Mr. Infantino during his triumphant re-election in 2019.
The day before the congress, the staff of the European confederation was ironic when it discovered the first FIFA press release, published Monday, April 19, judged internally “Very weighted”. The world institution had arisen there as a unifier, calling for “The unit” and praying “The parties involved in heated discussions to engage in a calm, constructive and balanced dialogue for the good of the game”.
10 page note
For several months, the position of Mr. Infantino on the Super League project has raised questions at UEFA. Admittedly, in January, at the insistence of the European confederation, FIFA had assured that“Such a competition would not be recognized” by her, and that “Any club or player involved in such a competition would not be allowed to participate in any competition whatsoever, organized by FIFA or their respective confederations”.
But, at the same time, a working document is fueling suspicion within the European institution. This 10-page memo, viewed by The world, summarizes the confidential information on the Super League, compiled by several European clubs. It circulated a lot at the beginning of the year in the hands of their leaders.
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