The Super League caused a great deal of excitement for a few days, then the project went under in protest. But the idea of a multi-billion dollar product from the big European clubs is still alive. A German manager should start the league.
As the new managing director of the agency A22 Sport Management, the former RTL boss Bernd Reichart is to make another attempt to establish the controversial project of a Super League in football. "Our goal is to talk to the clubs about a competition that is more attractive, entertaining, exciting, fairer and more economical," the 48-year-old told the "Bild-Zeitung".
According to Reichart, the first Super League, which was already history again in April 2021 after a few chaotic days, had “clear weaknesses”. But those responsible learned from this: “There must be an open competition with sporting qualifications such as promotion and relegation. Every European club must be able to qualify, from Legia Warsaw to Union Berlin to Real Madrid.”
He is impressed that Real, FC Barcelona and Juventus Turin "want to continue the discussion, although UEFA (European Football Union; ed.) has exerted massive pressure." In many clubs, however, there is "a consensus that things can't go on like this," claimed the Allgäuer. "The aim is to catalyze the development of a sustainable sporting model for European club competitions that reflects the long-term interests of fans and the football community as a whole."
The European Football Union UEFA, which organizes the most important and most profitable international club competition with the Champions League, and its President Aleksander Ceferin had put up massive resistance. Real, Barcelona and Juventus - the last staunch renegades of 2021 - are taking UEFA's monopoly to court in the European Court of Justice. The verdict, which is expected for March 2023, "will affect European football for decades," Reichart believes: "Reforms are imperative. But so far, paragraph 51 of the UEFA Statutes has even prevented clubs from talking about new models beyond UEFA . They face sanctions if they take part in talks. Where's the freedom of expression in that?"
He also wants to include the fans who went on the barricades against the "Super League 1.0" in the dialogue. This is not just an empty phrase, says Reichart: "Unlike last year, there is no finished format in the drawer." He also does not want to touch the national leagues, which "are and will remain the lifeblood of football".
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf had sharply condemned the plans for the Super League in the summer. "Sport has to make it clear - this topic cannot be overestimated - that it wants to serve the common good and not the interests of a few. The Super League plans are a frontal attack on the European sports model," Neuendorf said in a digital media round. The 60-year-old emphasized the importance of current European football competitions. "Very few know that the income from the big competitions also contributes significantly to the financing of mass sport. A Superliga would serve less. That can't be in the interest of our sport," said Neuendorf.
