European Super League | We are doing this to save football at this critical moment, asserts Florentino Perez
Florentino Perez is the first chairman of the Super League
|Super League chairman Florentino Perez has revealed that the 12 clubs are doing this to save football in what has been a torrid financial year for football. The financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic has been well documented with clubs from all walks of life losing out on a lot of income.
With news of the Super League breaking on Monday, it has fans and the European football world in turmoil with many wondering how things will move forward going ahead. This comes after news broke that Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus and nine other clubs have signed up to the breakaway league and intend to create a new mid-week competition.
However, with Los Blancos president Florentino Perez elected as chairman of the league, it has seen many clamber around the Spaniard, asking questions. And in his first interview, after becoming the chairman of the Super League, Perez admitted that this was done to “save football at this critical moment”. He further added that they couldn’t wait for the new format of the Champions League because it starts in 2024 and that would be too late.
"We are doing this to save football at this critical moment. If we continue with the Champions League there is less and less interest and then it's over. The new format which starts in 2024 is absurd. In 2024, we are all dead. Today, with the income from the Champions League that we have, we die," Perez told Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones.
"Everything they have said is not true. It is a league to save football based on solidarity. We are going to go out these days to explain what this competition is. This is the only possibility to save the modest, the medium and the great. "
The financial effects of the COVID-19 virus have been widespread and well known with clubs from across Europe affected by the lack of matchday or broadcasting income. But with things slowly getting back to normal, Perez added that they needed to change things and believed that this was the way forward. The Super League chairman also admitted that clubs needed to get back the money they lost or else they could suffer.
"When you don't have any income other than from television, you have to find a solution to make more attractive matches that fans all over the world can watch with all of the big clubs. Young people are no longer interested in football.
“They have other platforms on which to distract themselves. We could get back some of the money we lost because of the pandemic. We have to raise more money organising more competitive games. We want to save football so that, at least, the next 20 years can be lived with peace of mind and without teams that lose 200 million,” he added.
