UEFA says it stands firm after meeting Super League promoters

UEFA reiterated their opposition to the proposed Super League after meeting with advocates of the proposed competition on Tuesday.

European football’s governing body said that the meeting was requested by A22 Sports Management, a group launched in mid-October.

A22 says on its website that it is “actively working with a number of leading football clubs to develop new concepts and ideas for European club competitions”.

A22 brought a delegation of three led by CEO Bernd Reichart to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, while the governing body of European football also invited 22 representatives of other ‘stakeholders’: from the five major European leagues, the organisation of European clubs (ECA), global players’ union FIFpro and fan groups.

“Clearly, the representatives of A22 were surprised by the number of people present, and they were massacred for two hours”, said one participant on condition of anonymity, adding that the A22 representatives gave “the impression of improvising.”

UEFA said in a statement that “the participating football stakeholders once again unanimously rejected the rationale underpinning projects.” 

Of the original 12 Super League clubs, only three — Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus — publicly insist they are still pushing forward. 

The European Union Court of Justice is due to rule next year on whether UEFA abused its dominant position in trying to block the plan.

UEFA said it has “unanimous support by the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and extensive support from national governments, public institutions, and stakeholders across the continent.” 

Reichart, the 48-year-old former boss of the RTL media group in Germany, criticised UEFA for resisting the proposed change.

“What we learned from the meeting is that the status quo is satisfactory for UEFA,” he said in a statement.