By Samindra Kunti
April 23 – Amid a firestorm of condemnation and outrage at secretly concocted European Super League (ESL) plans, FC Barcelona have signalled their continued commitment to a proposed closed-shop, elite competition, highlighting “a need for structural reforms” and calling the backlash “intimidation” in an unapologetic statement.
The Catalan giants have doubled down on the ESL, seeking to explore a similar competition formula again. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid remain the lone voices in the ESL debate, defiant in defeat, but at the same time framing the discussion for the future.
Retraction statements from the Italian trio of clubs Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus also suggested that they very much remain interested in plans for the ESL.
In a lengthy statement issued on Thursday, Barcelona wrote “that there is a need for structural reforms to guarantee the financial sustainability and feasibility of world football by improving the product that is offered to fans around the world”.
The club justified their decision to join the ESL as founding member referencing “solidarity with the football family as a whole” and claimed that it would have been “a historical error” to not sign up.
The club also suggested that “a process of reflection” was required, but that it could not be subjected to “unjustified pressure and intimidation”.
The statement echoed the words of Barcelona chairman Juan Laporta who said in a TV interview that “[A Super League] is absolutely necessary.”
While media, fans and politicians in the UK and elsewhere grilled the Big Six Premier League clubs, the backlash in Spain has been less pronounced and both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona’s unapologetic stance comes against a backdrop of huge debt and wrecked finances.
Laliga clubs have united against the proposal and league CEO Javier Tebas said in a press conference yesterday that neither the league nor its clubs were on the edge of bankruptcy, that they had not need any state financial bailout, and they were paying their taxes and their players.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are labouring under huge debts – at €488 million for Barcelona in the financial year to last June and €354.3million for Real Madrid. Both clubs have nurtured a culture of spending without cost control, leaving their finances in a precarious state. The ESL was a way out for them, and any new Super League may still be. The real cost is for the rest of football. Despite saying otherwise, neither club really seem to care too much for the rest of football.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1736352466labto1736352466ofdlr1736352466owedi1736352466sni@o1736352466fni1736352466