Only two clubs seriously discussed forming closed super league, admits Alexander Ceferin
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has admitted that there were only two clubs that seriously discussed forming a closed super league for elite clubs. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit the world, there were talks around Europe about the formation of a closed European super league.
Alongside leaked documents of Manchester City’s financial improprieties, Der Spiegel released documents that suggested a closed European super league was in the making. It consisted of 18 clubs from within Europe’s top leagues with them based on those with the strongest television presence and that would effectively bring an end to the Champions League and Europa League.
That revelation shocked the footballing world and it saw former German Football League president Reinhard Rauball admit that both Germany and England would oppose the idea. However, in a recent interview, UEFA president Alexander Ceferin confessed that only two sides were ever seriously discussing creating a closed super league. Ceferin also added that in his opinon, “football the way it is now is far more interesting than a closed league”.
"But our opinion is that people love football as it is. They love seeing smaller teams playing bigger teams. We have done studies, and they've shown people wouldn't want to watch two top teams playing each other three times a month. I'm sure football the way it is now would be much more interesting than, say, a closed league. The Champions League brand is huge. To create a new brand out of a competition made up only of elite teams would take years and years. Football has to be part of society," Ceferin told ESPN.
“We have to educate. We have to develop. We can't do that if we are only run for profit. And it's important to say that there were only two clubs seriously discussing creating a closed super league. They even deny now that they discussed it, but we know they did. But it was two clubs, not a big movement. The vast majority of clubs know that football can develop only if everyone has access. Trust me, 99 percent of clubs -- even some very big clubs at the top -- believe in this," he added.