Florentino Perez says European Super League ‘in stand-by’ as defiant Real Madrid president suggests Chelsea fans were planted and claims he wants to find a solution
Florentino Perez does not believe this is the end of the European Super League and the Real Madrid president remains bullish despite fierce backlash to the controversial plans.
The idea for the new competition was revealed on Sunday with 12 founder member clubs announcing their involvement to the radical plans.
The ESL was fronted by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who was helped by Liverpool owner Henry and Man United owner Joel Glazer
It would have seen those teams, including six from the Premier League, guaranteed a place in the competition every season, along with vast financial rewards.
It would have effectively been an end to the Champions League, but widespread condemnation led to its effective cancellation 48 hours later.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Tottenham all withdrew amid protests from fans, while clubs on the continent slowly followed.
Perez, who would have been heading up the European Super League, claims the plans are by no means dead. AFP
Fans all over the country mobilised as the Super League was brought to a sudden end
In an interview with El Larguero: “The Super League poject is now in stand-by, I can confirm.
“Juventus and AC Milan have not left the Super League. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan are still in talks to find solutions.
“If this project didn’t work, another one will. Remember: all the 12 clubs have signed a binding contract.”
He continued: “I am a bit sad, disappointed. We have been working three years on this project, on fighting the current financial situation in Spanish football. It is easy to understand – you cannot touch La Liga, so you look for more money midweek and UCL format is obsolete.
“I have never seen aggression greater on the part of the president of UEFA and other presidents of Liga, it was orchestrated, it surprised it all. Never seen anything like it – insults, threats, as if we had killed someone, killed football.
Perez has been giving a number of interviews in the wake of the failed plans
“We are just working on saving football, after this pandemic. Madrid income falling from 900m to 600m this year. We have worked very hard on something that would satisfy everyone – and we did expect such a response.”
On Tuesday night, ahead of Chelsea’s league match with Brighton, the roads around Stamford Bridge were flooded with angry supporters, whose swelling presence delayed the kick-off by 15 minutes.
Perez, though, suggested Chelsea fans were plants, brought to west London deliberately to protest the Super League, which then sparked a chain reaction of dropouts.
He saw a similar reaction from Cadiz supporters, who Real played on Wednesday night.
But Perez suggested he was sceptical everyone wearing a Cadiz shirt at the Estadio Ramon de Carranza was an actual fan
Inspired by protests from fans in England, Cadiz flocked to the stadium to voice their disapproval at the greed from club owners
“Who brought those Chelsea fans to protest? There were only 40 Chelsea fans [to begin with], and I could tell who brought them… just like here someone gave Cadiz jerseys [against the Super League].”
And Perez acknowledged the domino effect sunk his grand plan.
“There was someone in the English six clubs who did not have much interest. That started to affect the others, there was fear. One of the English clubs was never really convinced.
“There was a campaign, totally manipulated, that we were going to finish the national leagues. That we were ending football, it was terrible. But we were working for football to survive.
“There are people with privileges who do not want to lose them, and are willing to run clubs, although when the clubs are ruined they will lose their privileges.”
“The English clubs tried to do something, but they were being told they were killing football. But there is no other solution, than the Super League. Or somebody invents something else.
Large numbers of fans are protesting against their clubs for their part in the failed European Super League
“They are leaving due to UEFA putting on a show, which surprised me. I don’t want to get into it with the UEFA president, but he needs to be able to talk. It was like we had thrown an atomic bomb. They did not let us explain, as they did not want anything to change.”
“It cannot be that in England, the six lose money, and 14 make money. In Spain the top three lose money, and the others make money. It cannot continue – at the moment the rich are those who are losing money.”