A controversial proposal for a new competition to rival the UEFA Champions League was met with widespread condemnation in April, leading to the withdrawal of nine of the original 12 founding big clubs.
Barca, Madrid and Juve issued a statement criticising UEFA
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juve have “immobilised themselves” with their “weird” approach to the Super League, according to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. A controversial proposal for a new competition to rival the UEFA Champions League was met with widespread condemnation in April, leading to the withdrawal of nine of the original 12 founding big clubs. The Super League plans were subsequently put on hold. Still, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus have vowed to continue pushing for change, despite the threat of serious sanctions from UEFA, which are in the process of investigating their involvement in the breakaway. The three remaining clubs issued a statement last week criticising the main governing body of European football, which read: FC Barcelona, Juventus FC and Real Madrid CF wish to express their absolute opposition of the insistent coercion that UEFA maintains concerning the three most relevant institutions in the history of football.”
We reform football, or we will have to watch its inevitable downfall
“The opening of disciplinary movements by UEFA is unintelligible and represents a direct attack on the regulation of law that we, the citizens of the European Union, have democratically gained while initiating a lack of respect for the authority of the courts of justice themselves. Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid are more than a 100-years old, will not welcome any form of force or intolerable pressure. At the same time, they remain strong in their willingness to discuss, respectfully and through dialogue, the critical solutions that football currently needs. Further, we reform football, or we will have to watch its inevitable downfall.” Ceferin has been outspoken against the Super League from the start. He cannot understand why Barca, Juve and Real Madrid continue to ignore the publicity while risking their current status in the European game.
“They have paralysed themselves with the approach they have taken,” the head of UEFA told reporters. “It’s strange to read press releases that three out of thousands of teams think their plan will save football and no one else likes it.”