Just hours after the European Court of Justice declared that UEFA and FIFA had broken EU law by blocking the league’s creation, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin made fun of the “fantastic” Super League on Thursday.
Nine out of the 12 clubs that had suggested creating a breakaway European league withdrew after UEFA and FIFA, according to the EU court, used their dominating positions to threaten them with sanctions.
Later, Juventus withdrew, leaving Real Madrid and Barcelona as the league’s sole supporters.
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“We will not try to stop them. They can create whatever they want,” Ceferin told a virtual press conference.
“I hope they start their fantastic competition as soon as possible, with two clubs.
“I hope they know what they are doing but I’m not so sure about that.
“Football is not for sale, we have shown that many times,” Ceferin added.
“We see the decision as a chance to improve some of the regulations.
“But football remains united, the evidence you see all of us stakeholders speaking today at the press conference.
“We have national governments and institutions behind us.”
Senior authorities such as Pedro Proenca, President of European Leagues, Javier Tebas, President of La Liga, and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, President of Paris St. Germain and the European Club Association, joined Ceferin on the call.
“There is a stark contrast between the ECJ’s press summary and the ruling itself,” Ceferin said.
“The judgement is actually positive as it embraces the key features of the European football pyramid: open competitions, sporting merit, and solidarity.
“And you have in this press conference its governing body and all recognised stakeholders.”
Ceferin emphasised that because the court did not rule on the “so-called Super League,” the decision on Thursday does not authorise or give the go-ahead for schemes like that.
“They see it as a victory but I don’t see it at all,” Al-Khelaifi said. “(The ruling) has nothing to do with the Super League.
“All the stakeholders in Europe are sticking together with the same goal… [The ruling] will just make us better and stronger.”
Al-Khelaifi also brought up A22, the sports development organisation established to assist in the formation of the Super League.
A22 announced a new competition on Thursday that would feature 32 women’s and 64 men’s teams competing in midweek league matches throughout Europe.
“Who’s A22? That’s my question to you, who is A22?” he said. “Where do they come from? What is their history?”
Al-Khelaifi described the Champions League, which was formed in 1992, as the “best club competition in the world”.
“The music itself is a brand, right? So you have a brand that already exists for years and years,” he said.
“Why someone will not be part of it? We are as the clubs proud to be part of it.
“The dream even to hear the music, it’s a dream, an amazing feeling.”