Premier Mario Draghi on Monday added
his voice to a chorus against the controversial planned new
Super League of top European soccer teams saying that "the
government is carefully following the debate around the soccer
Super League project and supports with determination the
positions of the Italian and European soccer authorities to
preserve national competitions, meritocratic values and the
social function of sport".
Juventus, AC Milan and Inter are among 12 clubs to say they are
forming the controversial breakaway European Super League to
rival the UEFA Champions League. The aim is to have a midweek
tournament made up to 20 teams, 15 of which would be permanent
founding members who would not have to qualify.
The other clubs to have said they are taking part are Arsenal,
Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City,
Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham.
In a joint statement, European soccer's governing body UEFA, the
Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC), the Lega Serie A and the
football authorities of England and Spain threatened the
breakaway clubs with exclusion from domestic competition,
describing the plan as "cynical".
"We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels,
both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening.
Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it
cannot be any other way," the statement said.. "The clubs
concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition
at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be
denied the opportunity to represent their national teams".
Juventus Chairman Andrea Agnelli has quit the UEFA executive
committee and the helm of the European Club Association (ECA)
and become the vice-chairman of the Super League. UEFA President
Aleksander Ceferin blasted Agnelli after a meeting of the
executive committee on Monday, calling him a liar.
"Andrea Agnelli is the biggest disappointment of all.I've never
seen a person that would lie so many times, so persistently as
he did," Ceferin said. "Greed allows all human values to
evaporate".
Giovanni Carnevali, the CEO of Serie A side Sassuolo, told RAI
radio that "they risk killing our championship. "Unpleasant
things are on the horizon and we have probably been taken for a
ride," he added. "It is not easy to be in the football business
today. The bigger teams have more losses and the system needs
revising. "But there has to be meritocracy in sport. Sometimes
being too greedy is bad".
Nationalist League party leader and AC Milan fan Matteo Salvini
was critical too. "Soccer and sport cannot just be about
business and spoilt players," he said. "As a Milan fan I should
be happy but I don't like it. "If Milan don't finish in the
first four places they don't deserve to be in the top European
competition. "I'll never change the colour of the team I support
for as long as I live. "But by doing this, they are taking away
the passion and joy of the fans. "Soccer is the fans, people at
the stadiums, not pay TV".
Lazio's Spanish midfielder Luis Alberto was one of the first
current players to come out against the plan. "No to the
European Super League," he said via Instagram.
FIGC President Gabriele Gravina said the only way forward is to
move on with UEFA's planned revamp of the Champions League.
"Soccer belongs to the fans," he said.
Juventus shares surged 17% in Milan after the announcement of
the new competition.
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