In a scathing attack on Barcelona president Joan Laporta, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi declared the Super League dead.
Following its disastrous 2021 debut, only Real Madrid and Barcelona still want to establish a European Super League. Several teams immediately withdrew from the initiative in response to the strong fan criticism, and it swiftly fell apart. The concept still has Joan Laporta’s support.
Just before their Champions League match, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain had their presidents sit down to lunch. It is customary for the Spanish club. While meeting with Laporta, Al-Khelaifi pleaded with him to put a stop to the Super League protests.
“For me, the Super League does not exist”, he told El Mundo. “I told Laporta when are they going to stop with this stupid idea. I asked him, ‘When are you going to give up the stupid idea of the Super League?’ I’m sure he will give it up. It makes no sense.
“The Champions League is the best competition in the world for everyone, and those clubs (Barcelona and Real Madrid) are playing in the Champions League because they know how important it is. I trust they stop it soon, because it makes no sense. I have always said that the door to return (to the ECA) is open.”
Two Spanish sides serve on the ECA board, which Al-Khelaifi also mentioned as a point of pride. According to him, the partnership places a premium on the Spanish league and its clubs.
“Conflicts in Spain do not benefit anyone, everyone is going to be harmed. I hope there will be unity among the stakeholders in Spanish football. It will also be good for European football,” he added.
“We talk a lot here, but outside Spain, the Super League is dead. What the ECA, UEFA and the European leagues are defending is to protect the structure. If you close the door of the competitions to several clubs you are destroying the dreams of many people,” said Atletico boss Miguel Angel Gil Marin.
The December ruling by the European Court of Justice that it is against EU law to prohibit breakaway leagues gave Barca and Madrid some optimism that they may form a Super League. According to Laporta, who said that he thought 15 teams would be interested in participating, such a league might be launched at the start of the following season.
As soon as the Barça president made his accusations, many of the clubs he named—including Ajax, Feyenoord, and Roma—jumped to defend themselves. Meanwhile, PSG and German powerhouses like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were vocal in their disapproval of the Super League concept from the beginning.
Recent Champions League action between PSG and Barcelona set up a semi-final matchup between the French side and Borussia Dortmund. Next season, both teams are anticipated to take part in a more extensive Champions League tournament; The Parisians are aiming for a repeat French championship, while Barcelona is about to lose the La Liga crown to Real Madrid.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
