Juventus President Andrea Agnelli and UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin are two of the key players in the breakaway Super League, and their relationship has long been a complicated one.
As the ECA President, Andrea Agnelli negotiated a new Champions League format with UEFA and its Chairman Aleksander Ceferin, who hit out at the Juventus President saying he's "never seen a person lie as much."
Juventus President Andrea Agnelli and UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin are two of the key players in the breakaway Super League, and their relationship has long been a complicated one.
As the ECA President, Andrea Agnelli negotiated a new Champions League format with UEFA and its Chairman Aleksander Ceferin, who hit out at the Juventus President saying he's "never seen a person lie as much."
Agnelli was appointed ECA President in 2017. ECA is an umbrella body for more than 200 top division clubs and one of the stakeholders involved in talks for the reform of European competitions, including the Champions League and creating the new UEFA European Conference League.
The Juventus President stepped down as ECA President yesterday after the 12 clubs involved in the European Super League published a joined statement to announce the competition.
"There are too many games that are not competitive, both at a domestic and international level," Agnelli said during an ECA meeting in March.
"Fans can't be taken for granted, and we have to deliver the best possible competition for them, or we risk losing them.
"That's why I welcome the conversation that we, as ECA, have had in the last couple of months with UEFA for the development of the game.
"Although not present here, I'd like to thank President Ceferin for the arguments and almost the fights we had from October to December.
"But they have been very productive arguments and fights."
Agnelli and Ceferin were also close friends as the Juventus Chairman offered Ceferin to be the godfather to his six-month-old daughter back in 2019.
The announcement of the Super League has clearly deteriorated the relationship between the duo.
"He's probably the biggest disappointment of all. I don't want to be too personal. But the fact is I've never seen a person lie so many times, so persistently," Ceferin said after a UEFA Executive Committee today.
"That he did was unbelievable. I spoke with him on Saturday afternoon. He says, 'These are only rumours. Don't worry, nothing is going on.' And then he said, 'I'll call you in one hour. And he turned off the phone. Next day, we get the announcement.' I've seen many things in my life but not a situation like that. Obviously, greediness is so strong that all the human values evaporate."
Ceferin warned all players participating in the new competition would be banned from the World Cup and the Euros.