Nasser Al-Khelaifi insists Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid ‘shout at the sky, while the rest of us are building a better future for European football’, while Aleksander Ceferin aims a new dig at Andrea Agnelli.
The ECA’s General Assembly took place in Geneva today. Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona are still not part of the European Club Association as they haven’t yet withdrawn from the Super League.
The remaining nine clubs that decided to abandon the competition in April, were reintroduced in the association and their representatives took part in the meeting today.
Also, Roma owner Dan Friedkin was confirmed as a new board member along with Bayer Leverkusen’s Fernando Carro and Oleg Petrov from Monaco.
Andrea Agnelli stepped down as ECA President after the Super League announcement on April 18 and was replaced by PSG Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The latter spoke for the first time during an in-person assembly.
“I will not spend much time talking about the 18th of April, and the “not-so-Super League” because I do not like to focus on fabulists and failures,” he said.
“Together, we defended the interests of European football for everyone – for the players, the Clubs, the Leagues, the National Associations, and most of all, the fans. We relied on the resolve and strength of President Ceferin, who stood up to the midnight coup – and people with short memories should remember that this is exactly what it was.
“You all should know that President Ceferin was confident from the start. We spoke early in the morning on the 18th of April, and he said, “we will win”. And we did. Thank you, President Čeferin.”
“And while the three rebel-Clubs waste energies, twist narratives and continue to shout at the sky, the rest of us are moving forward and focusing every energy on building a better future for European football – together as one,” he continued.
“As you know, for the 9 Clubs who asked to come back into our family, the ECA Board has re-integrated them into our structures with renewed commitments to strengthen our Association. I welcome them back to the ECA-family.
“And now, looking ahead, to meet the challenges currently facing European football, the ECA needs to evolve with a stronger purpose.
“We want the ECA to be the heart of European football – a purposeful and powerful stakeholder driving the agenda and development of a united European football family. We also want the ECA to represent and support more and more European Professional Football Clubs, so we truly represent the interests of all.”
UEFA President Ceferin also had a speech and didn’t miss his chance to aim a dig at Juventus President Andrea Agnelli: “Al-Khelaifi is a good captain who took the wheel when the old captain escaped from the ship,” he said.
Ceferin also rejected the idea of holding the World Cup every two years.
“The jewel of the World Cup had value precisely because of its rarity,” he said.
“Holding it every two years will lead to more randomisation, less legitimacy and unfortunately, dilute the World Cup itself.”
Why are the 3 rebel teams still in champions league?
@Mike hunT… because UEFA legally can’t do shit about it. Al-Khelaifi being ECA President tells a lot about UEFA,
Nasser Al-Khelaifi ……. what does a plastic oil club owned by a oligarch foreign state have to do with “ European football” sit down. Lectures from some Middle East oligarch, who’s ownership has added nothing to European football except to distort the transfer market and wages demands of players.
What a disgrace. Psg president is destroying football as we know it and uefa is so corrupt. I think the super league maybe isnt a bad idea after all after seeing the bottom team in the prem league richer than serie a champions
Agnelli talks occasionally, but these dudes talks for months answering him.
It tells a lot about whats exactly is going on!
I wish the other clubs could show more resistance against this corrupt organization, including my team. These clubs chickened out unlike Real, Barca and Juve too early. While PL clubs doing just fine, teams like Inter, Milan and Atletico, which are suffering , had to stay with pact and bring/invite big teams like Roma, Napoli and etc. I don’t like the Super League concept but something needed to happen against UEFA and this could be a good start.
The fact that uefa is allowed to stamp out any competion is a complete and utter joke and shows how corrupted they are…. PSG lecturing to teams with such history as Barca,Real and Juve…..please. Football
is a business and uefa either offers a better product or someone else will….
Al-Khelaifi wants to save European football – what a joke. This guy is one on the biggest problems. uEFA is a corrupt organization who will bend to the will of the richest clubs. European football is heading the way of Formula 1 – same teams in the final every year – people switching off. UEFA have no idea how to solve the problems.
Pot and kettle come to mind.
What a bunch of rotten-to-the-core charlatans.
This is why the idea of Super League is conceived. Super League is no more, but a Super Club is created instead. The recent changes to FFP only help to legitimize the lavish spendings of one Super Club. Well done spineless Cerefin!!
Given the corruption of UEFA and the destruction of the football market by the likes of PSG and Man City, I have lost interest in the UCL – PSG can win it, Man City can win it but at the end of the day, it’s only due to filthy oil money. Previously, the European Cup could be won by teams like Ajax, Celtic, and Red Star Belgrade, but you will never see that again.
As for the cowardly clubs who joined the Super League, to then abandon the idea without putting any pressure on UEFA to change the way they operate football, shame on you. Yes, the Super League is definitely with its flaws, but it should have been at least used as a trigger to change what is now a corrupt football system. Whether you agree with the Super League or not, at least 3 clubs stood up to UEFA, stared them down and made then back off.
“You all should know that President Ceferin was confident from the start. We spoke early in the morning on the 18th of April, and he said, “we will win”. And we did. Thank you, President Čeferin.”
After I gave you 2 Billion dollars in bribe, I’m allowed to say what I like. That’s what Al-Khelaifi whispered in Ceferin ear.
Please note, the looks of Al-Khelaifi and his family says, he’s of Indian origin and not an Arab, so do not blame it on the Arab this time.
PSG saving football is the biggest joke of all time. All they can do is distort the transfer market with insane oil money for which they are never held accountable. Such clubs are the ones who are actually destroying the game.