Madrid: the promoters of the European Super League did not despair in football: after the president of Real Madrid, the president of Juventus Andrea Agnelli this week was reconfirmed in the separatist project, in awaiting a decisive judicial decision in 2023. Before the expected speech by Barcelona president Joan Laporta on Sunday during the Regular General Assembly, Florentino Perez resumes criticism of the European Champions League (Champions League), which he holds 14 times (a record). “Our beloved sport is sick,” the influential president said last Sunday during the General Assembly of the Club of the Spanish capital. He made a comparison with tennis: “Why do we deprive people of big match? Nadal and Federer met more than 40 times, Nadal and Djokovic 59 times: was it boring? Real Madrid and Liverpool (English) met only 9 times in 67 years “. While the Super League project had been inactive for several months, it moved to mid-July when the dispute with the European Football Association (UEFA) reached the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. Twelve club Europe’s elite continent had decided to launch the Super League in April 2021, but faced widespread criticism from their country’s governments, leagues and national federations, so they had to reverse the pace after a few days. However, three clubJuventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​are still trying to make them float again without concrete steps in that sense, while the strong club British withdrew in change of payment of fines. In a letter to Juventus shareholders on Thursday, Agnelli reiterated his commitment to the project, wishing to “establish a direct link between sponsors who dare to take entrepreneurial risks and control economic resources”. On the same day, as Barcelona presented their financial data, Edward Romeo, vice president of economic affairs, confirmed that “a rethinking of the Super League will be positive”. He added: “We want to reach an agreement that is satisfactory for all parties, which allows the club who earn the most to be the most profitable. “Others can join club in case in which the European judiciary places limits on UEFA’s hegemony? A source close to the Super League confirms: “We are discussing with everyone. We are the only ones to cross, but we are never alone. “- Reform of the Champions League – but the opposition remains strong in the face of the Real-Barcelona-Juventus trio, above all in terms of supporters who denounce the “concept of the rich” and consider it “intrinsically anti-competitive”. On Monday, Slovenian UEFA President Aleksandar Ceferin criticized Peres’ comments: “Once again, it appears that his idea is to close everything and that there will be no matches against smaller teams.” And on Friday, UEFA signed with the European Commission to renew the cooperation agreement until 2025, with the aim of “using European football as a force to bring about positive change”. Italian MEP Sandro Gozzi, general secretary of the European Democratic Party and public supporter of Juventus, asked a question in a plenary session of the Parliament: “Does this agreement with UEFA threaten the independence and impartiality of the European Union, while the case is being examined by the Luxembourg Court?” To thwart the Super League, UEFA has embarked on an extensive Champions League reform process starting in 2024, with 36 club instead of 32 and an 8-stage mini-championship instead of the traditional group stage. Television rights were granted for the figure record of 15 billion euros in three years (2024-2027). Qatar Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of the club French Paris Saint-Germain and president of the powerful European Club Association, congratulated: “This confirms that the expanded module was a great success before it started.” The next step is on 15 December, when the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union will issue his advisory opinion. The final decision is expected to be issued in early 2023. (AFP)
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