Florentino Perez has said he is “absolutely certain” that Real Madrid and other Super League participants will not be kicked out of the Champions League this season due to their role in the proposed breakaway group – and he has humiliated the set-up of the current league. saying it is “only attractive from the quarter-finals” and clubs “will all die” without major reforms.
Madrid president Perez – one of the driving forces behind the Super League project, who has been named chairman – is the first senior executive involved in the plan to speak publicly since Sunday’s announcement.
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“The Champions League is attractive from the quarter-finals, that’s all,” he told late Spanish talk show El Chiringuito. “We play against small teams that are not attractive. Young people prefer to enjoy themselves with other things. But if we do it all season, five games on Tuesday, five on Wednesday, that is unstoppable.
“What would make money would be the 15 clubs that play each other every week. That’s the best show in the world, nothing like it,” he added. “A Real Madrid-Manchester [United] or a Barcelona-Milan is more attractive than Manchester [United] against a small club.
“What is the world asking? We have fans in Singapore, in China, all over the world, you can see that on social media, the followers they have. That makes money.”
12 clubs – AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur – have joined the ESL as founders.
The breakaway league, intended to replace UEFA’s Champions League – which announced its own reform plans on Monday – has said three more clubs are expected to join, while another five would qualify based on performance.
“Today, with the Champions League revenues as it is, we are dying,” said Perez, highlighting the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “Less crowd, less money. We’re all dying, the big clubs, the medium clubs, the small clubs. They say the new Champions League format will come by 2024, then we’ll be dead.”
Perez is the first chairman of the Super League, while Andrea Agnelli of Juventus and Joel Glazer of Manchester United have been appointed vice-chairmen.
The project has received widespread criticism from football’s governing bodies, fans and other high-profile clubs not involved.
The League has called the ESL made a “selfish, selfish proposal designed to further enrich the already super rich” in a statement on Monday.
Sevilla – currently in fourth place in La Liga behind three ESL backers Atletico, Real and Barca – declared their “total rejection of a tournament based solely on economic parameters”.
Perez, 74, who was unopposed earlier this month as president of Real Madrid for another four-year term, also rejected suggestions that the club could be kicked out of this season’s Champions League.
Madrid will face Chelsea in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday, April 27, before the return leg on Wednesday, May 5.
“They certainly will not throw Madrid out of the Champions League,” Perez said. “Not Madrid or [Manchester] City or whoever. I am absolutely sure. Or also La Liga. “
Jesper Moller, the Danish member of UEFA’s executive committee, said on Monday that he expects Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City to be removed from the competition.
Perez also insisted that players can “be completely calm” about the ban on participating in international UEFA and FIFA tournaments such as the World Cup, “because that will not happen.”