While Inter and Milan had withdrawn from the Super League project in 2021, Juventus ‘initiated the procedure to exit’ in July 2023, but what’s the stance of Serie A clubs regarding a new European competition?
The ECJ ruled on Thursday that FIFA and UEFA are abusing a dominant position and can’t sanction clubs and players involved in tournaments they do not organise.
Juventus, Inter and Milan were among the founding members of the Super League in 2021, but Nerazzurri and Rossoneri withdrew within 48 hours of the original announcement following fans’ protests around Europe.
On the other hand, Juventus remained involved alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona until a few months ago.
This past June, they denied they had informed the La Liga giants about their withdrawal from the breakaway competition but announced the beginning of a “discussion period among the three clubs concerning the potential Juventus’ exit from the Super League Project.”
One month later, the Bianconeri confirmed they had initiated the procedure to exit the Super League.
It must be highlighted that Juventus took such a decision in the middle of a UEFA investigation over their finances. It is believed that the withdrawal from the Super League was part of an agreement to avoid a lengthy ban from European competitions. Juventus were excluded from the 2023-24 Conference League despite finishing eighth in Serie A in the previous campaign, following a 10-point deduction imposed by FIGC.
Juventus quit ECA in 2021 and haven’t yet rejoined the clubs’ organisation recognised by FIFA and UEFA despite a recent invitation from Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who has replaced Agnelli as the ECA Chief.
Agnelli had said that the contracts signed by the original Super League clubs were binding for 11 clubs out of 12 and according to reports in Spain, the only team that has formally quit the project is Inter, but this side of the story is still unclear as details behind contracts agreed by the clubs are still largely unknown.
Inter, however, don’t seem to be totally against the idea of a new competition which can bring more financial resources to clubs.
“The Super League was a cry of alarm, of despair, of some clubs with a strong competitive objective. The organisational model must be revised,” CEO Marotta said in October 2021.
“We could act better in the form, but the end justifies the means. COVID and debts drown the clubs. The difficulty is to combine the concepts of business and meritocracy.”
The Nerazzurri director said something similar at the end of November, insisting that the Super League was an “instinctive reaction” presented in the “wrong way and at the wrong time”, but there is “an issue of great difficulty, a system that is struggling due to financial contraction.”
Inter reacted to the ECJ decision with an official statement on Thursday, saying ‘European football’s future can only be secured by working together through the ECA, FIFA and UEFA.’
Roma said in April 2021, after the Super League was announced, to be against a “closed system” because it was against the “spirit of the game we love.”
However, A22, the company behind the Super League, has now announced that under the new format, 64 clubs will be involved in the tournament, with participation based on sporting merit.
This hasn’t convinced the Giallorossi to change their stance. Roma released an official statement on Thursday confirming their opposition to an alternative European competition.
Serie A title holders Napoli were not among the clubs “invited” to the original Super League, but President Aurelio De Laurentiis is not exactly a friend of FIFA and UEFA and would gladly take part in a different tournament, based on what he recently said.
Speaking to Radio 24 on March 2023, the Partenopei President proclaimed: “Did I want the Super League? Absolutely no. I told Agnelli to forget about it. He wanted it for the élite. It is wrong to continue doing European competitions; it is wrong that UEFA earns €800m every year, and we don’t know where this money ends. Let’s make a European Championship and put €10 billion on the table, where the top six of the leading leagues or the champion of a smaller league play against each other, all knock-out games.”
FIGC firmly stand against any tournament organised outside FIFA and UEFA jurisdiction and President Gabriele Gravina said on Wednesday that all clubs participating in the Super League will be banned by Serie A.