10 January 2023 , 11:52
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes that the European Super League will become “a reality in 2025” despite a court ruling last month that effectively gave UEFA the power to ban any club or players attempting to join a breakaway competition.
The Nou Camp chief has also claimed that a number of other clubs who “have not yet shown their faces” are “very interested” in joining a Super League. Laporta, however, thinks that the competition will initially take place without any English clubs even though he believes that at least four would be keen on joining.
“I think there will be a Super League,” Laporta told Spanish radio station “I would not have entered into this project if it was not an open competition and it was accepted by Real Madrid, Juventus and other clubs that have not yet shown their faces but are very interested in this competition.”
The European Court of Justice delivered a significant blow to the prospect of a Super League being created on December 15 by providing an initial non-binding judgment that the current rules applied by FIFA and UEFA are compatible with EU competition law.
A final ruling is expected in the coming weeks with the case then referred back to Madrid’s commercial court, where the case was first heard.
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Yet Laporta thinks that the three breakaway clubs and A22 Management, a company founded to explore the possibility of a Super League being created, could still end up winning the case.
“[The Super League] will be a reality in 2025, if the resolution is favourable,” he added. “If the ruling, which I believe will not happen because what is being called into question is the defence of free competition in the framework of the EU, and I believe that this will be won.”
(PA)But Laporta thinks the league will begin as a rival competition to the Premier League - even if he claims that they remain in communication with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.
“In a first step, what we will have is a European competition that will compete with the Premier League,” he added. “I don’t think the English teams are going to enter in the first step.
“We want them to enter and there is a lot of communication with the English clubs Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. All these clubs, most of which are for sale and some have already been sold, are interested.
“The state leagues would be maintained and this will end up with a merger between the European Super League and the Premier [League].”