Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Monday backed UEFA’s strong stance against plans for a breakaway Super League by 12 of European football’s most powerful clubs, including three from Italy.
In a statement, he said the government was “closely following the debate” around the project, which has sparked outrage from football authorities.
And he said Rome “strongly supports the positions of the Italian and European football authorities to maintain national competition, meritocratic values and the social function of sport”.
Draghi, 73, supports Roma – one of the many clubs that would be excluded from the proposed Super League.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin called the breakaway plan, which threatens to completely shake up the world’s biggest sport, a “spit in the face” for supporters.
Six Premier League teams – Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur – joined forces with Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and Italian trio Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan to launch the planned competition.
