Fiona Govan
THE Spanish government has spoken out against the formation of a breakaway Super League by 12 clubs including Real Madrid and Barça and Atletico Madrid with the sports minister insisting any changes can only be made by agreement
“The Spanish government does not support the initiative to create a soccer Super League promoted by various European clubs, including the Spanish ones,” Spain’s government said in a statement after Sports Minister Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes held talks with UEFA and other associations, as well as the rebel clubs.
European soccer’s governing body UEFA, politicians and fans all lashed out against the move to create a new Super League, which is part of a battle for control of the game and its multi-billion dollar revenues.
Uribes said any league changes must benefit the Spanish league, the Spanish national squad and Spanish clubs in general, including the small ones.
“We don’t want it to affect (Spanish soccer), and if it does, we want it to be affected in a good way,” he said.
But La Liga, and a host of Spain’s other clubs have added their name to a long list of institutions rejecting the idea of a European Super League.
Spanish media company Mediapro said they would not break their UEFA broadcasting contracts running until 2024 to broadcast the breakaway games.
However the 12 clubs involved have said they would take legal steps to protect their interests as they set up the new endeavour.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was named on Sunday as the first chief of the new league insisting that the new venture was essential in order to save the finances of beleaguered clubs hit by the pandemic.
“Here at Real Madrid we’ve lost a lot of money, we are all going through a very bad situation. When there is no profit, the only way is to play more competitive games during the week. The Super League will save clubs financially.
“Football must evolve like everything in life. Football has to adapt to the times we live in now. Football is losing interest from fans, TV rights are decreasing. We wanted to do the Super League, the pandemic has given us urgency, and right now we are all ruined in football,” he said in an interview with Spain’s El Chiringuito.
“Even in the Premier League, if the top clubs are economically stronger, all the other clubs will also become stronger. It is a consequence. We want a dialogue with UEFA as we proposed in the Super League, we want to save football.
“This Super League is not for the rich, but it’s to save football. If this continues, football will disappear and by 2024 we would already be dead. This is the only way to save everyone: big, medium and small clubs.”
Real Madrid’s president Perez is wrong. He wants to sell world class football to American banks to save his ass, having practiced financial mismanagement in the past. All German Bundesliga clubs have voted against the Super Leage. They too suffer from low income during Corona pandemic, but they are still financially stable. Bayern Munich had demonstrated that you can win the Champions leage and host the European player of the year (Robert Lewandovsky) and the world goal keeper (Manuel Neuer) without paying idiotic salaries to players like Messi or Ronaldo and without evading taxes.
Super leage may replace All England Championship if English football fans requires so, but should not touch the ‘rest’ of Europe. German trainers and players should leave England and return to Bundesliga.
Sad to say that EU monopoly rules are in favour of Super Leage.