FIFA and all six continental football confederations have issued an emphatic joint rejection of any move towards major clubs to form a separatist European Super League, saying that such an undertaking would not be ratified by any governing body.
The statement, made by the presidents of FIFA and UEFA, Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin, and the other five international confederations, states that, as none of them would endorse such a league, any players and clubs that participated in it would effectively be football thugs.
“In light of the recent media speculation about the creation of a closed European ‘Super League’ by some European clubs, FIFA and the six confederations … again, I would like to reiterate and strongly emphasize that such competition would not be recognized by FIFA or the respective confederation ”, said the joint statement.
“Any club or player involved in such a competition would therefore be prohibited from participating in any competition organized by FIFA or its respective confederation.”
Few major European clubs have expressed interest in a breakaway super league, as they are discussing with UEFA the expansion of the Champions League format in 2024, when the agreed football calendar ends. However, there were reports that the bank JP Morgan was asked to examine the financial possibilities of a “European Premier League”, a project that would have been started by Real Madrid. Then, in late October, the outgoing Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, dropped the bomb in his final speech that, according to him, the club had “accepted a proposal to participate in a future European Super League”.
Manchester United and Liverpool were reported as potential participants in the split, but they have distanced themselves from it. Ed Woodward, United’s vice president, told a fan forum in November that he is “focused on … strengthening existing UEFA club competition”.
Some reports have suggested that FIFA, which is reshaping its format for the Club World Cup, was supporting a move to support the European Super League, although FIFA sources said they were baffled by this and knew nothing about the initiative.
Now, they have spelled out their opponent in an effort to ensure that all clubs remain within official football management structures.