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UEFA “strongly opposes” plans for a European Premier League, insisting that promotion and relegation principles are “non-negotiable”.
The governing body has said Sky Sports News he believes a European Super League or variants would “get boring” after it emerged that FIFA had endorsed new plans related to Manchester United and Liverpool.
In a statement hours after Tuesday’s revelations, a UEFA spokesperson said: “The UEFA president has made it clear on many occasions that UEFA strongly opposes a Super League.
“The principles of solidarity, promotion, relegation and open leagues are not negotiable. It’s what makes European football work and the Champions League is the best sports competition in the world.
“UEFA and the clubs have pledged to harness that force so as not to destroy it and create a super league of 10, 12, even 24 clubs, which would inevitably get boring.”
Sky News learned that financiers are putting together a $ 6bn (£ 4.6bn) funding package to help create what could be known as the European Premier League.
New revelations about a change in European club football have come in the week the Champions League resumes
More than a dozen teams from England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are in negotiations to become founding members of the competition.
Up to five English clubs could sign up to join him, with a tentative start date said to have been discussed as early as 2022, and teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur reached out, according to insiders.
All the clubs involved, as well as FIFA, declined to comment when contacted by Sky Sports News.
‘Surprise if this comes true’
Bryan Swanson Analysis
The excellent scoop from Sky News reporter Mark Kleinman has reopened old wounds over the threat of Europe’s best clubs breaking free from UEFA.
The governing body of European football has a predictably grim view of any proposal that threatens its main club competition, the Champions League, and Aleksander Ceferin has previously warned that any new super league will get “boring.”
FIFA declined to comment on the Sky News report, but has deliberately referred to “issues that come up from time to time.” In other words, you cannot deny that the issue has been debated but nothing more substantive at this stage. It is telling that FIFA has not denied that it supports these new proposals.
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JP Morgan’s participation in any financing package is significant. Ed Woodward, Manchester United’s executive vice president, is a former investment banker for the financial giant.
But if this new league is to start as early as 2022, in a World Cup year that is already interrupted, there would have to be considerable hurdles to overcome.
UEFA has a lucrative TV format and contracts until 2024 and companies have paid big money for broadcast rights to matches involving the best clubs in Europe.
A ‘European Premier League’ would also have a considerable impact on the value of the Premier League. What if finishing in the top four doesn’t matter anymore? What would happen to compelling drama if European participation was guaranteed to only a select number of clubs, regardless of where they end up?
UEFA controls the Champions League, Europa League, Nations League and the European Championship. Would players competing in this new competition have to give up their right to play in the Euro, for example? It’s possible.
Why would UEFA want to back any player who goes against its other competitions? The Football Association, which grants European licenses to its clubs, holds the key to almost all national problems, but has declined to comment.
It would be a considerable surprise if this were to come true, in its current form, but it will generate more debate and focus minds in the corridors of power.
The timing of the leaks, as always, is significant and UEFA has yet to decide on its Champions League format as of 2024. Talk of a £ 4bn investment plan, at a time of a global pandemic, with some smaller clubs in crisis, he won’t sit down. comfortably with many in the game.
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