Barca are refusing to give up on the Super League
Deep down, if we’re really honest here, none of us really thought talk of a European Super League would disappear forever, did we?
Nearly six months have passed since it emerged the owners of 12 of European football’s leading clubs* were plotting a lucrative breakaway league behind the backs of everyone else.
It didn’t last long. After a series of fierce fan protests, the whole thing came crashing down in spectacular fashion within a matter of days and the withdrawal of the six English clubs that were part of the proposal was enough for most of us to assume that the matter was closed, if only for a while.
Not every club did choose to withdraw, however. Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona are still yet to officially pull out of the project – despite recent criticism from PSG chairman and recently-appointed ECA president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
As if that fact alone didn’t spell it out, Barca president Joan Laporta has now openly said that the Super League is still very much alive.
Speaking to Onze TV [via The Athletic], Laporta appeared bullish when asked about the chances of the concept becoming a reality, insisting that the final say will be down to the courts – not those who applied pressure on the English clubs to back out of the idea.
“The project is alive,” he said. “If the Super League goes ahead, it will be the most attractive competition in the world and it will help a lot financially.
“UEFA cannot act against us. We will see what the courts say. All the pressure put on the English clubs is useless if the courts accept the project.”
🔥 LA SUPERLLIGA TIRA ENDAVANT
🎙 "El projecte de la Superlliga està viva. Als tribunals ho hem guanyat tot. Serà la competició més atractiva del món. Només falta millorar l'aspecte de la meritocràcia"#OnzeE3 pic.twitter.com/zg9uPYpWuk
— Onze (@OnzeTv3) September 6, 2021
The Super League clubs are currently involved in a legal battle with UEFA over the governing body’s attempts to impose sanctions on the three clubs that have yet to withdraw.
Barcelona are understandably keen to push for the Super League after the extent of their dire financial position became clearer over the summer. Having been forced to delay the registration of several new signings, they also lost Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain last month.
*The word ‘leading’ is extremely debatable given a couple of the teams involved
