Every word Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said about the European Super League | OneFootball

The European Super League has generated a storm in football the like of which has perhaps not been seen in decades with twelve of Europe’s biggest clubs threatening a breakaway competition with Liverpool involved.

It’s a story that has plenty of legs left in it, too, with the backlash from fans, pundits and players alike beginning to put real pressure on those in charge of these clubs that appear to have but money firmly above sporting integrity.

Indeed, the silence has been deafening from many of the perpetrators but one man, a man who’s never been that afraid to put his head above the parapet, has now tried to explain the exact thinking behind these plans; Florentino Perez.

Speaking to El Chiringuito, the Real Madrid president had a great deal to say on why this European Super League will ‘save football’ and here we’ve picked out every key word from his explanation and interview – make of it what you will…

Firstly, Perez on the financial struggles Europe’s elite clubs are experiencing and why the Super League is the remedy for that:

“Football is going through a very tough situation, and the Super League will save the clubs financially.

“We came to the conclusion that, in having the Super League instead of the Champions League, we could help alleviate the lost income.

“When you have no income other than broadcasting rights, you say the solution is to offer more attractive matches that allow fans from all around the world to watch the big teams play against each other.

“Top clubs in Spain and England are coming to conclusions about fixing football. Madrid alone lost €400 million this season, nothing was being done about that. Here at Real Madrid, we lost a lot of money and we are in a very bad situation.

“The more competitive games, the more revenue clubs will generate and that is how they will survive this situation. The Super League is the solution.

“Without the Super League, football will die before 2024. Big and small clubs will die.”

Another of Perez’s thoughts were that young people were not as interested in football as previous generations, with him claiming that too many games of low quality are the reason behind that. Indeed, he went on to say that he finds that he cannot watch some matches:

“40% of young people aren’t interested in football, because there are too many games of low quality. And we have to adapt, 16-24-year-old fans aren’t interested in football.

“It’s statistics. Teenagers are more interested in playing video games than in football these days, and we have to do something to bring them back.

“We have to change something to make this sport more attractive at a global level.

“There are some matches I can’t stand to watch. The Champions League is attractive only from the quarterfinals. Nobody cares about the games before.

“We might have to make the football match shorter if it’s not interesting.”

Many, of course, have come to the conclusion that this is a money and power grab by Europe’s elite, suggesting that it’ll make them financially even stronger and leave those outside the Super League on an even weaker footing. Perez, though, claims that the money will drip down to lower levels and also refuted the idea it’s a ‘closed shop’ perhaps forgetting the idea 15 of the clubs will never be removed regardless of performance…

“If we have more money, it will be better for everyone, because we will be able to sign players from smaller clubs for a lot of money and help them too.

“This will be better for all clubs, not just the elite. All I do is for the good of football.

“The Super League is not a closed league. That’s totally false. It’s an open league that any good team can reach, regardless of the name.

“We have fifteen teams and another five teams. It will not be a closed league. The five teams will earn their place every season.”

Another recurring thought is that this has come about as the owners involved do not like proposals UEFA has put forward for a new Champions League format. Indeed, the relationship between these figures and UEFA appears at an all-time low, with Perez taking the opportunity to criticise the organisation and its new UCL ideas:

“That new Champions League format will not save football. I don’t understand it, it won’t help anything.

“If you win, you receive €120 to 130m from UEFA but with Super League we will earn much more.

“We want to save football for the next 20 years. The Super League will do that.

“UEFA is a monopoly, they had to say what they said today. It’s over. Their monopoly is over. It’s time for a new era.

“They (UEFA) believe we’re their property and they can do whatever they want with us, and they’re wrong.

“The UEFA president insulted Agnelli today, and that is unacceptable.

“It’s ridiculous that the UEFA president can allow himself to insult the president of a huge European club. We don’t need these type of people in football. Disrespectful and unacceptable.”

Threats against player participation in things like the World Cup and European Championships have been made, meanwhile, as well as team participation in this year’s Champions League, though Perez seemed rather unconvinced that would happen:

“Our players will not be banned from the World Cup. I guarantee it. They can be 100% certain of it.

“Kicking us out from this season’s Champions League? Absolutely not. I guarantee it at a 100%.

“They can’t kick us out from this season’s Champions League, and that they can’t kick us out from our domestic leagues. Totally impossible.

“One of our clubs panicking and leaving? No, they already signed.”

Should the European Super League go ahead, there’ll be natural questions about its first season and things like VAR and officiating. Perez sought to issue some insight into those matters, too:

“We want to start as soon as possible. We will talk to UEFA and FIFA, but they should not get angry, they know that. If they want to wait for 2024 to make the reform, they can wait. We’re not waiting for anyone.”

“Everything surrounding football will be improved with the Super League.

“VAR? Referees? Everything will change, for the good. The salary cap will be 55%.

It does appear, then, that Perez and co. are hell-bent on seeing this idea through, with the Real Madrid man closing we’ve these comments:

“We’ve been working on this project for 20 years now. We owe it to all the fans.

“Small clubs’ survival depends on us, and this will be good for them.

“Us, big clubs, we will get a lot of money, then we will distribute it to everyone. But first we need the money.”

Whether they get that money, remains to be seen…