UEFA met with A22 Sports, the company backing the proposed European Super League (ESL) in Nyon on Tuesday, and once again rejected the idea of a separate league, Europe’s football governing body said.
The meeting was attended by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and officials from Europe’s top leagues as they met with A22 Sports’ new CEO Bernd Reichert and its founders Anas Laghari and John Hahn.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, President of the European Club Association (ECA) and President of Paris Saint-Germain, also attended the meeting along with CEOs of several clubs and representatives of supporters’ associations.
“In line with the unity of European football, UEFA and participating football stakeholders once again unanimously rejected projects such as the ESL during today’s discussion,” UEFA said in a statement.
“Participants note, with surprise, the A22’s claim” Play CEO that this company is not representing any club in any capacity, including three clubs that continue to openly support the project.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus were among the 12 clubs that announced the Super League in April last year, but the move immediately collapsed, following a hostile backlash from fans and the entire sport, including from governments.
All six English clubs – Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – plus Inter Milan, AC Milan and Atlético Madrid withdrew from the project.
Real, Barca and Juve continued to pursue the idea, and the matter was referred to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg after a Madrid court prevented UEFA from penalizing breakaway clubs.
UEFA said English clubs did not participate in Tuesday’s meeting because they had to attend a Premier League shareholders’ meeting.
Reichart, the former CEO of media company RTL Deutschland, was appointed as the new CEO of A22 Sports Management last month and said European football clubs are “lackling in terms of their opportunities”.
While the original idea of the Super League suggested that it would be a closed league of wealthy clubs, Reichert stated that there would be promotion and relegation.
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