Real Madrid president Florentino Perez issues statement after Super League ruling: “Great day for the history of football” | OneFootball

Today is a red letter day in European football as the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against FIFA and UEFA on the matter of the Super League.

The renegade league that was announced in 2021, was blocked by the governing bodies of football, who threatened major sanctions against the teams participating in the project.

All clubs barring Real Madrid and Barcelona backed out of the project as a result, but with the ECJ ruling now allowing for the Super League to go ahead, there is renewed hope for the competition to take off.

Bernd Reichart, CEO of A22 Sports Management, the company backing the Super League, already expressed his delight at the verdict on social media.

Now, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has issued a statement on the matter, welcoming the ECJ ruling while claiming that it is a great day in the history of football and sport in general.

“At Real Madrid, we welcome with great satisfaction the decision taken by the Court of Justice of the European Union, which is responsible for guaranteeing our principles, values and freedoms,” Perez said in an institutional statement.

“In the face of the pressures we have been under for more than two years, today the right, reason, and freedom have prevailed. And that is why Real Madrid will continue to work for the good of football.”

Echoing similar sentiments to that of Reichart, Perez stated: “Firstly, that European club football is not and will never again be a monopoly. And secondly, that from today the clubs will be the masters of their destiny.”

“In short, today the Europe of freedoms has triumphed again, and today football and its fans have triumphed too.”

Given that the Super League had attracted the ire of fans due to its closed nature, Perez vowed to build a project that is “fully compatible with national competitions, open to all, based on sporting merit and which will effectively impose respect for financial fair play.”

Calling all European clubs to unite and hold constructive discussions over the future of the project, the Real Madrid president added:

“Let me say to the European clubs that we are at the beginning of a new era in which we can work in freedom, in constructive dialogue, without threats, without acting against anything or anyone, and with the aim of innovating and modernising football to continue to feed the passion of the fans.”

Concluding, Perez stated: “From today, the present and the future of European football are finally in the hands of the clubs, the players and their fans.”

“This day will mark a before and an after. It is a great day for the history of football and for the history of sport.”