Florentino Pérez defended the creation of the European Super League this Monday in an interview awarded to the ‘El Chiringuito’ program in which he assured that the project of which he was appointed president was not born with a spirit of rupture, but warned that football, the UEFAIt should be “more transparent. We don’t want to confront anyone, but if there are people who believe these institutions are theirs, that UEFA, LaLiga and others are theirs, then you have to do something.”
“I’m here to save football, not for my own sake,” Florentino clarified, making it clear that his intention is “to return to interest and get out of this critical situation that we are going through. UEFA is talking about it. that new Champions League, “which we don’t understand because it’s starting in 2024 and they don’t realize we’ll be dead by then. Football cannot wait. “
“The big ones are the ones that generate more resources and it needs to be known. If we don’t take this step, everyone will fall, not just the big or the modest, but everyone and our interest is to avoid it,” he exclaimed.
Real Madrid’s president warned that the project is a necessity to save a “critical situation” by distancing himself from any controversy as much as possible. “Nobody has founded anything here. The important clubs of England, Italy and Spain have to offer a solution to a very bad situation that football is going through. There is talk of five billion losses and Real Madrid had a budget of 800 last year and we finished at 700 and this year instead of 900 we will see if we enter 600, in two seasons 400 million less, only Real Madrid We are going through a very bad situation We are all going through a very bad situation and we are looking for a solution, ”he said.
In this regard, Florentino argued the decision in an “urgent and urgent need. If you only have television revenue, you understand that the only way to make it profitable is to make matches more competitive and attractive to fans around the world.” And you conclude that yes instead of playing a Champions League during the week, which is less and less interesting, we do a Super League, we could lighten everything we lose.
“Football has to evolve as life evolves,” the president said, resolving that “everything has changed, social networks have changed the way we interact and live and football has to adapt to that scenario. Our sport is losing interest, it turns out. what audience are going down and something has to be done because with the pandemic this is accelerating.
“It is not true that it is a competition for the rich, but to save everyone,” insisted Florentino, warning that “we are going to explain well what this competition is and that the goal is to please everyone, the modest, everyone. because it’s the only chance to survive Here everyone is talking, but the ones who have the right to speak are the fans, the 4 billion fans around the world who want this to be more attractive.
“We need to respond to fans from all over the world, without any big statements that are useless. The Champions League has less and less interest among young people and we need to respond,” he concluded, saying that it is the young people who are. giving back to football in its current form: “40 percent of young people have lost interest in football. There are a lot of bad quality matches and they have other forms of entertainment. So we understand that we need to do something to make it more attractive and we have something like that. simply happened.
“Football has diminished its appeal among young people and we need to get these young people, who have other platforms to enjoy themselves, return to football. The Champions League is only attractive from the quarter-finals, because before you play against modest ones who do. And young people say that these games are very long and unattractive. Sometimes we don’t understand our children and it’s different generations that deserve to understand them and give them what they demand, “he said.
“We are risking the future of football and there are people who do not want to lose their privileges, even though we are all on the brink of destruction. We do not want to be richer and the poor poorer, that is not true. and you have to do something, save it, ”he repeated, recalling that this situation is not entirely new.
“It happened back in the 1950s when the European Cup that Santiago Bernabéu held against FIFA was created and that ultimately changed football. The appeal is because the greats play and that’s for the good of everyone. We do it to help the world. football that is at a critical moment ”, convicted.
“It was not difficult for me to talk to Laporta. When you talk to responsible people, things are simple. He is a sensible man and he understood because Barcelona is also in a very delicate situation. saves us. I, in my twenty years of being in football, have never experienced a situation like this, ” revealed Florentino of Barça’s position, to whom he acknowledged with a laugh that he would hand over as president of the SuperLiga, the Copa the champion.
“This tournament makes more money, because a Barcelona-Milan or a Madrid-Manchester is much more attractive. The question is clear: what is the whole world asking? We have fans, all the greats, in China or Singapore and that’s what. it gives money, not other leagues. And that money goes to everyone because it is a pyramid that ultimately benefits everyone. If we are anything, it is in solidarity, “he clarified, rejecting that this is an absolutely closed competition .
Others also have access to the tournament as there are 15 permanent clubs and another five that can play for sporting merits. It is not a closed competition as said, that is not true. The clubs must be worthy to play a league like this. “, He argued, revealing” exponential “growth in terms of economic benefits:” UEFA earns 130 million euros and we are talking about 400. With that money we save the world in general. “
“We have a poll in which 75 percent of fans are favorable,” warned the Real Madrid president, rejecting the opposite view that, he said, has been installed “for interests that should explain this” and acknowledging that PSG on this moment, he’s not part of the founding club ’cause we haven’t invited him yet, like the Germans, but I don’t know why there are people who, unknowingly, just talk to speak and that we’re the Leagues going to end if it is common sense that it will not.
“I’ve talked to all the leagues, federations and no one understands those new champions. They say it will start in 2024, then we’ll be dead. They don’t realize the urgency we all have,” he clarified, addressing that. the champions wouldn’t die because “the other clubs would keep playing. You can play both.”
In this regard, he threw a glove to suggest that they are not doing anything behind someone’s back and that for this reason he does not understand the attacks received. “We say we will talk to UEFA and FIFA. We don’t do anything behind our back and I don’t understand why they are going to get angry. We made it clear in the statement. UEFA is working in a different format, that with all with respect, I don’t understand but that it doesn’t generate the necessary income to save football.
“What we want is to save football so that we can live in peace for the next 20 years. One thing has to be very clear: the situation is dramatic,” he reiterated, throwing an arrow at the UEFA president.
“UEFA should be more transparent and explain things. We know that football is going through a very difficult situation and the models need to be adjusted where necessary. In the statement we say that we will speak with UEFA and all organizations.”
“We are talking about something very serious. Football has four billion fans and our group represents two billion, they deserve respect and more if we are here to save everyone,” he agreed, replying to the UEFA president on one for the Obvious way: “Are his threats to those who confuse a monopoly with society. We must speak and enter into dialogue, as we have offered”, rejecting that he fears an expulsion, already this season, from the Champions League, such as speculated: “Madrid won’t be. kicking out of the Champions League, not Madrid or City or anyone, that’s for sure.”
“The Real Madrid players can be very calm because nothing is going to happen. UEFA is a monopoly and what they have to do is be more transparent. I don’t want to talk about the things that happened there, but of course that shouldn’t happen. I don’t have that threatening tone, “he warned in response to threats from Ceferín.” What shouldn’t be that the president of UEFA insults us, as he has done with the president of an entity like Juventus. I couldn’t speak like him. This has to change because we don’t want a president of UEFA. Insulting UEFA, “he synthesized, insisting that the continental body” must understand that things have changed and that it is time to move forward, because in the situation we find ourselves in, we are dying.
“We have lowered our salary, I know what LeBron James earns, but I don’t know what Mr. Ceferín earns, for example. And I lowered my salary, but I don’t see the president of LaLiga doing that,” he condemned. adding that it is necessary “an exercise of transparency in all respects. Here the monopoly has ended and everyone must know what is happening, because we are about to go bankrupt and not just us, but everyone.
“The League will not lose value because it is entrenched and will continue as always. Look at basketball: we play the ACB, that’s the League, and then the Euroleague and nothing happens. You can coexist perfectly,” he stated. . , which, despite all the pressure, proclaims the character of your project. “Look, when we have the money, we divide it, because we believe in solidarity and values.
“With the current Champions League income we are going to die. And we are all dying, big and small, that’s something some don’t want to understand. We want to be masters of our destiny, but from the beginning of solidarity. is that he does not want things to change and is against the interests of football.
“Pause? We need to convince all levels of the need to take this step. If no agreement is reached, we will see what will happen. We try to get closer to everyone. It’s not about rich and poor,” said he. , solving that pedagogy takes more than confrontation: “You can be for or against, say you don’t understand, but for the sake of football you can’t be disrespectful. I’m here to improve.”