"The project is alive" Barcelona's president Laporta backs Super League

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“The project is alive”

Just when it was believed that the dreaded Super League might not rear its ugly head, one of the big guns pulls it back to the fore.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta spoke with club members at a meeting where he confirmed that the concept is not dead and the amount of money it would be worth to the club.

“The project is alive,” Laporta said. Claiming it would be worth, “a minimum of 700 million euros ($830.3 million) per season for Barcelona”.

He continued speaking with members saying he was ‘convinced’ that the project is right for the club.

“There will be no voting because there is no format. Instead, I ask you to please allow me to continue to defend Barça’s interests. This project suits us, I am convinced, and the moment the format is known, we will bring it to you for a vote.”

The Super League saw huge amounts of backlash from fans, other clubs and especially UEFA and FIFA.

Of the 12 founding clubs, only 3 remain. Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid.

SINSHEIM, GERMANY – APRIL 04: Carlo Ancelotti head coach of Bayern Munich sits on the bench before the Bundesliga match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Bayern Muenchen at Wirsol Rhein-Neckar-Arena on April 4, 2017 in Sinsheim, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Interestingly, Carlo Ancelotti when manager of Everton spoke passionately about his dislike of the idea. He has since been appointed Real Madrid manager.

“My immediate reaction was they are joking, this is a joke!” Ancelotti said in April.

“It’s a joke because it’s not going to happen. It’s impossible. Football is a sport first [and foremost]. And then with a lot of investment, it also becomes a business. We need to take both into consideration. This is absolutely normal.”

It will be interesting when he is questioned on the situation again.

Ceferin’s judgement

No punishment has yet come for the clubs but UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said that whilst it may be ‘slow’ that in the end ‘justice’ will come out on top.

“I will just say that justice is sometimes slow, but it always comes,” Ceferin said.

“I didn’t enter into the details of the responsibilities of our disciplinary commission, but obviously the objective is to resolve the matter in the courts.

“From my point of view, it is not a definitive stop.

“First we clarify the legal things and then we will go on.”

“The project is alive” Barcelona president Joan Laporta backs Super League

MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND – APRIL 20: UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin during the 45th Ordinary UEFA Congress at 2m2c Montreux Music & Convention Centre on April 20, 2021, in Montreux, Switzerland (Photo by Richard Juilliart – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Ceferin used an odd analogy about schoolchildren to define his feelings towards the clubs and the situation.

“Sometimes I get the feeling these three clubs are like children who are like children who miss school for a while,” Ceferin added.

“They don’t get invited to birthday parties and then they try to get into the party with the police.”

Premier League clubs have already received news of fines, what punishment awaits the remaining big 3 founding sides remains to be seen.