Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini reveals he has been discussing the European Super League with President Andrea Agnelli ‘for a few years now,’ while Serie A has ‘some teams that are in the way.’
The defender is one of the few players who has come out publicly in favour of the Super League project, which was announced and then evaporated within 48 hours.
Only Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona still stand by the project, with adjustments to prevent it being a closed-off invitation-only tournament.
“I’ve been talking to the President for a few years now about this,” Chiellini told DAZN Italia.
“The future of football is increasingly towards a European approach compared to national leagues. A player at Juve’s level wants to play those games, with all due respect. Athletes of our level, but also perhaps the fans, want to see more of these European level fixtures.
“We have reached the point of no return. Institutions, clubs and players must meet to reform the calendar and create new competitions to relaunch this sport, which remains the most beautiful in the world, but can also be improved.
“In the USA, who are masters of this sort of thing, they created Super Leagues in every sport.”
Reforming the calendars also means cutting down the number of domestic fixtures and Chiellini agrees with the current FIGC approach of reducing Serie A from 20 teams to 18.
“There are some Serie A teams who are in the way. We really ought to go back to 16 teams, but I think 18 would allow the league to be more competitive and give extra space to European level fixtures.”
Some of Chiellini’s ideas are rather less forward-thinking and embracing of the future.
“Even if we romantics want to abolish VAR, remove offside or bring back the back-pass to the goalkeeper, the world is moving forward and we mustn’t be against change.
“I think it’s essential we all manage to sit down and discuss how to improve football, because the situation is getting unsustainable for everyone and the fans can tell.”
Juventus, Chiellini sposa la Superlega: “È necessaria. In Serie A ci sono squadre di troppo” https://t.co/Ln3CEUfXes
— TUTTOmercatoWEB (@TuttoMercatoWeb) November 10, 2021
You only need the super league for more money!!
Look after to finances and accounts, stop paying excessive transfer fees and salaries and then you wont be in a situation where you need more money to stay afloat!
Juve are barely mid table these days. Barcelona far from Super. ManU? LOL !
Learn some humilty.
I write this as a Juventino. Enough with the Super League.
Also, what Super Leagues exist in the USA?
“Athletes of our level, but also perhaps the fans, want to see more of these European level fixtures.”
Which fans? The fans of the clubs involved perhaps, but what about the hundreds of thousands of fans in Europe whose clubs will not have the chance to play against the “big” teams anymore? These are the games that supporters of smaller clubs look forward to the most and you want to take that away?! You will rip the soul out of the game even more than it has been torn out already!
Agnelli’s puppet, no surprise he says something like this.
Without relegation and promotion it would just get boring and would kill youth development which is a huge important thing, for players to come up on smaller clubs where they can actually get playing time at the top divisions and experience.
If it could be worked in some way to amalgamate the top 5 from france, italy, germany and spain with relegation and promotion into one league, that could be interesting, but I still dont see how it solves the youth development angle.
Maybe top 10 from each country and form divisions of 20 teams like USA sport, with top 4 from each division playing off in a playoff format every season to replace champions league. Just spitballing here.
No, Giorgio, the USA didn’t “create Super Leagues in every sport.”
“The fans”
Yeah, about that. Is he referring to the same fans that have made it abundantly clear that they don’t want it? Lead by the English fans that were absolutely amazing in killing it within 2 days? Between Agnelli and Wenger with the bi-annual World Cup, give it a rest !
Worry about qualifying to a fuckin World Cup and getting out of the Group Stage for once in your life. Why is clubs even being discussed when, in the words of Mancio, this is the “2nd biggest match of the year” for the National Team? What propoganda.
I see the EPL table, non-super West Ham leads both Arsenal and ManU. In Italy, non-Super Atalanta are ahead of Juve.
He obviously has a job lined up next to Nedved once his playing career is over.
USA & Canada — Franchise system with Playoffs.
What Super League? This idiot has no idea what he is talking about.
Cure your adductor, keep your yap shut, and qualify to the World Cup already.
I stand firm for the Super League, will vote for it with both hands! I mean, for real, the current Uefa Champions League is just a weaker Super League. There are not many Champions in this UCL, rather 2nd to 4th place and even lower than that. What are Sevilla and Villareal doing in UCL? Sevilla won Primera Division just once in history, after WW2, in 45-46, c’mon! And Villareal? Never won, they are not Champions! And we have so many examples in so many countries.
If UEFA will go back to Champions Cup, organised and ruled under UEFA aegis – only the CHAMPIONS, not 2nd, 3rd or 4th – in one Wednesday, the Super League will go unimpeded next Wednesay and everybody will be happy about it. You keep the weekends for domestic championships, and have every week a super clash.
And about the number of the teams in Serie A, Chiellini is 100% right also. Back in the day, there were 16 teams, from late ’60 until ’89, if I’m right. After that, there were 18 until 2004, switched to 20 teams then. Germany have almost 90 millions ppl and only 18 teams, Italy under 60 mill and 20 teams… Better for the players to have more atttractive games (Champions Cup, Super League included) than break your legs against some… bully rudimentary mallets.
I think Mr Chiellini needs to focus on his team and winning some European trophies…something he and Juventus seem incapable of doing! They only want the superleague because they can’t win the champions league.
Juve won’t finish top 4 this year. How can they be a Super Team?
Burnley (18th place) beat Chelsea last week. Venezia beat Roma.
Liverpool just won their first Premier League title.
The Champions League is important to them (why do you think it is the trophy Juve want more than all others and Allegri left?). They are more than OK with the format. Their issue is that the money goes to UEFA and not all for them.
If you want to make it a strict Champions League like previous years, sure. That’s another argument. But it’s not the one that they are making.
If a Super League was ever formed Juventus will just embarrass themselves. I would need to wear 3 XL diapers just to ease the pain of watching football from the pre Roman era get crushed by actual Super teams.
@dangerboy
Inter won NOTHING, just NOTHING, for 10, TEN, years! Italy or Europe. But represents one of Italy’s top 4 teams, regardless of the performances from a year or two. Even 10;)
You just don’t know about Juventus finiIshing this year, you’re making… just a presumptuous supposition, to express myself elegantly. Nah, forget about it, you’re just rude, and I have to remind you that AC Milan was MIA from UCL like 6 or 7 years. If this making Milna a not Super League team?
So… Burnley beat Chelsea, but Burnley finished 10th in PL last year. Arsenal on 8th, just 2, TWO, points above Burnley. Arsenal are… what? Not Super League material? Ok, Venezia beat Roma, but Roma are just Roma, c’mon. Bodo Glimt know it better;)
* draw with Chelsea.
My respect for him just gone out the window
Elitism. This is just another way to siphon more cash from the fans, while at the same time price many working class fans out of the game. This will make the rich even richer and lead to even more obscene fees being paid for and to players and agents. This isn’t “the peoples game”, it’s the corporations game. I’m all for capitalism, but this is capitalism on steroids, unchecked, where the smaller clubs are like the small business owners and entrepreneurs and Agnelli the Bezos, the small business killer.
I am very disappointed in Chiellini. He is just like one of those gravy train poiticians with zero integrity, who doesn’t give a damn about the people (the game, the fans) they represent. A corporate stooge who’s only interested in lining their pockets.
Some troll is using my Username to post comments — I take that as a compliment. Likely that moron, Solo Inter.
Have fun !
To all of you calling Chiellini för saying that they have super league’s in USA: they do. They are called NBA, NFL, NBA, MLB and so on. In these league’s, they don’t have divisions like we do in Europe. Therefore, you have no relegation. And the only way for a new team to join is to by there way in, with the approval of the other teams. Ergo, Super League, you idiots
*To all of you saying that they DON’T have super leagues
“Serie A has ‘some teams that are in the way.’”
Oh ok, stuff it Giorgio. What an incredible statement!
@NJC: They certainly do and that’s why their leagues are all so boring.
That’s not a Super League, lol. It’s a Franchise system.
What does divisions have to do with it?
The only reason why there are divisions is because the USA (add Canada for the NHL) covers a large land mass. Except the NFL were schedule has only few games per season, Divisions are geographically-based. Also, in the 2 of the 4 major sports in the USA, there are 82 games per season. 162 in MLB.
In the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs is small compared to the NY Knicks, but the current Franchise system allowes them to have greater success.
Read any Wikipedia stub on ANY professional sports team from the USA or Canada and the opening sentence refers to them as a Franchise, not a Super Team.
@Bruno
Nope, it’s just the other way around. I have a saying, in Romanian: “exact asa, dar invers”. So, I’m a Juventus fan from Romania, been living in that socialism, communist times, harsh is a soft word for that period. I was lucky enough to watch a (great) Juventus match live in Turin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyfpkIhVVqk
An achievement I never dared to dream of back in the day, even if you had money to do that. And today, even though it’s hard(er), the winner takes it all. If some can afford it, from whever you are, you can attend/watch the matches. If not, then you can’t.
@dangerboy do not worry about the troll he is just bitter that we both have a diaper fetish. I recommend Pampers as you need the best quality for Juve games. I only wear 1 for small games, 2 for the big matches but credit to you Sir for requiring 3 extra large ones. Chiellini knows this is not happening anytime soon. Italy has no power and the strings are pulled and dictated by the premier league clubs.
Don’t worry, Solo Inter.
Your morte de fame team won’t be invited. Minimum Value of Club must exceed 1 BIllion USD. Also that small detail of not even owning your own stadium.
Now STFU, put the kettle on and go watch Coronation Street or whatever you do over there.
Another out of touch millionaire thinks he knows what the common man wants.
@dangerboy I was giving you credit for the diapers. Come on bro don’t hate. By the way it is not SOCCER so go watch NFL and take the knee just like your boy BRANDON. I respect everyone’s opinion no matter where they are from but coming from what sounds to be a Yank, you leave the real football for us. God bless you pal.
@dangerboy no worries. Platini used to play for Juventus in 1980’s an absolute legend. Del Piero was captain and played for us in the 90’s. Check out or google Zidane another beast. No shame as I know in the USA and Canada football is played with the hands and barely with the feet.
Exactly, it’s a franchise. You buy your way in. And because there are no divisions, there is no risk of relegation, no matter how badly you play. Everybody gets a piece of the pie that is tv-rights and sponsormoney. And the fact that some of the leagues play a load of games has absolutely nothing to do with it
Still doesn’t make it a Super League 🙂
Such a system allowed the NFL team of Green Bay to better more successful than Chicago. Or San Antonio to be better than New York for the last 45 years.
No Solo Inter,
You still cannot join our Super League.
Funny how these retarded Inter fans hate Juve but they hired Marcello Lippi, and Antonio Conte to manage them. You can’t be us.
Is that tea ready yet? Make sure you drink it with your pinky up !
Solo Inter,
Do yourself a favor. Don’t assume anything about me. Whether or not I’m American, Aussie, NZ, South African or from Italy. I do know however you are from the UK.
Cheerios !
dangerboy you know and so do I that your American as nobody would ever mention the mechanisms of the US, Canadian systems or approach implemented in your various sporting franchises. The cast majority of people outside the US do not care about the NFL. It is a girls game where you need padding and armour. Rugby is a real mans game. Do not be ashamed of yourself as America was once great. Mentioning other countries from around the world is a guise to cover up your complete insecure and total fakeness. I feel your pain as things are hard. Your gas is through the roof, you have empty shelves and you have stagflation.
More importantly since you are just learning about soccer the formation of the super league was agreed upon excluding the vehement opposition from only two heavyweights. They are called Bayern Munchen and Paris Saint-Germain. The league only collapsed when the premier league clubs all pulled out. Inter and AC Milan were both invited genius.
Juventus only huffed and puffed as they know that they have no money just like all the other Italian clubs. They have been a joke on the continent ever since 1996 but since you were still into NFL and women’s soccer I would not expect you to know that. Inter who I despise have also won more champions league’s then Juventus and that is just fact.
Juventus, Arsenal and Spurs were all invited but have the most laughable records of either not winning the old format at all to only achieving a paltry 2 trophies for such a glorious stature. Agnelli knows Juventus cannot win the trophy on merit. Porto was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Also do not visit the Milan and Inter fan forums and try to play nice with their fans whilst slagging off Juventus. After all it was you who stated that watching Juventus and Allegri makes you sleep. You have never been a true Juventino and support anything that walks under the earth’s sun.
I would not be surprised if you support the Broncos, 49ers, Chiefs, Steelers and pretty much anything that would cover you.
Once a fraud always a fraud. Now lets go Brandon ha ha ha
Believe what you will, moron.
People aren’t as dumb as you, don’t have to be from the USA to know how their leagues are set up. After, I’m not from the UK but I know how your sports are set up. Amazing how that works.
Innit????? Innnnniiiiitttttt right?
Come on now, people! Don’t waste your time on this senile old fool. After he got bit by Luis Suarez, he talks nonsense, lost his intehgritah.
blame it to those super stars mega salary and unwillingness of clubs to creates their own talented players.
in the market of buying players, than you must have hefty money to play in negotiations.
juve it self have go admit that their old strategies can’t sustainable anymore.
buying free players and gave them big salary that’s the start of the failures we saw this past 3 years.
it’s because of covid that bring juve down, but because series of wrong players transfer.
given mercenaries 7 millions for sitting on the bench and pretends to be injures all the times.
given a rich mommy player 7M but he doesn’t care a bit for the club.
101 penaldo goals are a myths and empty, 30+ of that goals came from penalties.
the rest are easy tap in.
the club lost it identities.
so many foreigner and south america players, just like intermilan in the past lol.
we copied inter 1990 mistakes in the names of world recognition.
juventus is so solid and got 2 UCL final before without flashy shiny foreign super stars players.
stars doesn’t brings you throphies.
local players with undying determinations that’s the recipes of juventus 100+ years legacies.
sorry, bad management bad transfers decisions bad young players promotions, bad academy of football, that’s what creates super league.
an escape road and easy way out ro masking all of juventus bad management failures.