LaLiga president Javier Tebas launches scathing attack on European Super League proposals… and blasts Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez as ‘the man behind’ the ‘disastrous’ plans
- The European Court of Justice has revived hopes for a Super League December
- It ruled that UEFA and FIFA acted in violation of competition law by blocking plans
- IAN LADYMAN: Why Cristiano Ronaldo looked stunned after things got heated one night in Barcelona – Listen to the It’s all Kicking Off podcast
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has launched a broad campaign against new European Super League proposals, describing them as more destructive than 2021.
In December, the European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA and FIFA breached competition law when they blocked plans for the breakaway league.
A22, the sports management company behind the Super League, immediately proposed a new format with 64 leading European teams across the Star, Gold and Blue divisions and free streaming of matches.
Tebas, the most outspoken critic of the Super League, which threatened to take Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid out of LaLiga, compared A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart to the magician David Copperfield.
He also took aim at Real president Florentino Perez, who was behind the original Super League proposals.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has launched a scathing attack on European Super League plans
Tebas insisted that ‘the man behind this is the president of Real Madrid’ Florentino Perez (above)
Fans came out in full force to protest the announcement of the ‘closed’ league in April 2021
“We have to be very clear: the man behind this is the president of Real Madrid,” Tebas told the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in London.
‘With this new model – and the one of 2021 was a disaster – A22 wants a few clubs, with the most assets, the richest clubs, to dominate the European football ecosystem.
‘This model is even worse than the 2019 model. We said ‘no’ to that and we say ‘no’ to this one.
‘It attacks the domestic leagues and the clubs would only get access to the third division, not the first division. The Star and the Gold competitions, even with bad results, you will always be in this competition.
“We say the damage to domestic leagues will be a loss of revenue of around 65 percent, so of course I’m against that.
‘This model goes against solidarity: ‘I gave you £500 million, be happy’. Solidarity means that the new competitions do not damage the European football ecosystem – the 1,500 professional clubs and 54,000 professional football players.
‘This means that clubs will disappear and player salaries will fall. The whole system will collapse, so you have to be radically against it.
“If we did this at the provincial level, we would have to get rid of the banks!”
Tebas continued with a personal attack on Reichart, who is leading the revived Super League proposals.
Tebas stressed that the plans are more destructive than the 2021 Super League proposal
Barcelona and Real Madrid were two of the biggest supporters of the European Super League
Perez talking to Anas Laghari, secretary general of the European Super League (left) in 2022
“Bernd Copperfield, he wants to deceive us so much, his tricks are like Niagara Falls, so great,” he said.
“What is at stake is the football industry, this is not a joke between friends. Many jobs depend on this sector, so it is a very serious issue.
“Bernd Copperfield says there will be free streaming of the matches, but people who understand the broadcasting industry know that is not possible.
‘He even said it wouldn’t be completely free, it would be a hybrid system. They cannot make these 5 billion euros from advertising alone.
‘Free streaming is like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.’
