Growing political and sports pressure on the innovators of the European Premier League – 04/20/2021 – Sports

Still without concrete announcements about possible sanctions and exceptions from tournaments, on the second day after the creation of the European Super League of Clubs, it sparked hostility between the teams that support the initiative and the national leagues, federations and governments.

In the United Kingdom, it really became the subject of the state. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that no measure has been put in place to prevent the tournament from being held among 12 of the world’s richest teams, 6 of whom are English. According to him, the government is evaluating all options, including the new laws.

Taxes, a review of the ownership model, and visa and travel restrictions are also being discussed, according to the British press, to fight the notion that critics see as anti-competitive.

Johnson’s office said in a statement that Johnson had met representatives of the Football Association, the Premier League and fan groups, as he said the government would not allow the creation of a “closed shop” for football.

He reiterated his steadfast support for the football authorities and confirmed that they have the full support of the government to take all necessary steps to end these plans.

The prime minister also intends to discuss the issue with leaders from Spain, Italy, and other countries that have teams in the Premier League so far.

The Vice President of the European Commission (the European Union’s executive authority), Greek Margaritis Chinas, said that it is not within the authority of the commission to intervene in this matter: “It is not within the competence of the Commission. Europe has recognized the rights of federations and UEFA for years. . The UK, outside the European Union after Brexit, thinks differently.

After meeting 14 of the 20 clubs not part of the initiative, the Premier League said it had “unanimously and forcefully” rejected the Premier League’s plans and was planning to take action against the six teams (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City. Manchester United and Tottenham) who had participated in the competition.

“ The Premier League is considering all available measures to prevent its advance [da Superliga]As well as holding the respective shareholders accountable according to their rules, “the association informed.

In a separate statement, Everton’s board criticized the six competitors for showing “ridiculous arrogance” and tarnishing the reputation of the Premier League.

The Guardian newspaper published a report indicating possible hesitation from Chelsea and Manchester City over the Premier League draft after the pressures of the past few days. The BBC reported that the London team is already preparing its letter to pull out of the project.

City coach Pep Guardiola also spoke about the tournament and criticized its sporting elements, such as the lack of relegation and families for teams: “It is not a sport if success is guaranteed or if it does not matter when they lose. I have said many times that I want a successful league, not just with a team at the top. “.

“The presidents can speak more clearly about the direction of football. It’s inconvenient for us [treinadores] Because we don’t have all the information. I can give my opinion, but not more than that, “he also criticized the European Football Association (UEFA) for thinking only of his interests.

Without directly indicating the possibility of excluding teams and players from competitions organized by the entity, FIFA President Gianni Infantino once again demonstrated his rejection of the idea of ​​the Premier League. “If some go their own way, then they have to live with the consequences of their choice. Either you are in or out. You cannot be half on the inside and half outside.

Slovenian UEFA president Alexander Ceferin, who had described the rebel leaders as snakes led by greed, left the door open for reconciliation on Tuesday, saying there was time to change his mind.

In its first court ruling on the matter, the Madrid Court that ruled in corporate disputes issued a positive injunction for the Premier League, prohibiting entities from taking measures restricting their teams’ performance in competitions or excluding players and coaches from them. The new bloc of clubs sought to take precautionary measures in many areas of justice.

With the Champions League semi-finals and the Europa League (competitions organized by UEFA) scheduled for next week, the time could be short. Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal, Superliga founders, are participating in the semi-finals of the competitions.

The only player to reach the Champions League semi-finals outside that group is Paris Saint-Germain, which is dominated by Qatar. And its president, Nasser Al-Khulaifi, waved to the European Commission. “We believe that any proposal without the support of UEFA does not solve the problems that the football community faces today, but is driven by self-interest.”

On Monday evening (19), Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid and the Super League, defended the idea that football needs to evolve and adapt to the present era. “Whenever there is a change, there are people who oppose it … and we are doing it to save football at this critical time,” he said on the Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones.

The defining moment is the Covid-19 pandemic, and the toll it has caused, one of the justifications for the creation of the dissident league. “The public is decreasing, rights [de transmissão] Decreasing and something had to be done. We have all been destroyed. Television has to change so we can adapt, ”Perez said.

“Young people are no longer interested in football. Why not? Because there are many poor quality matches and they are not interested, they have other platforms to distract them,” he added.