Barcelona, Juventus and in particular Real Madrid have been like the cat who got their cream since Friday’s court ruling in Spain.
FC Barcelona, Juventus, and Real Madrid CF welcome today’s Court’s decision enforcing, with immediate effect, UEFA’s obligation to unwind the actions taken against all European Super League founding clubs, including terminating the disciplinary proceedings against the undersigning three clubs and removing the penalties and restrictions imposed on the remaining nine founding clubs for them to avoid UEFA’s disciplinary action.
While UEFA haven’t commented, a statement from the La Liga and Italian giants implies that European Football’s governing body have an ‘obligation’ to terminate any disciplinary actions against them for wanting to form a Super League.
The media in the UK have mocked the trio for trying to push through a competition which the other 9 founding members have withdrawn from.
It’s worth remembering though that owners and presidents of these footballing giants pay the world’s best lawyers to represent them.
Meanwhile UEFA and FIFA don’t have a track record where you can believe everything they claim is legit.
So, while many players believed the threats of being banned from representing your country was genuine and majority of clubs were scared of being kicked out of their own domestic football, maybe Florentino Perez was correct in May to predict the concept of an ESL is not over?
It’s always been believed that it was the Real President who sold this break away League to his American peers, knowing they would be enticed by the sporting model of the US, namely zero relegation or promotion – you make money off simply being the brand you are.
It certainly seems that would fit into Stan Kroenke’s ethos.
Arsenal are without European Football for the first time in 25 years during a Pandemic.
Financially now would be the perfect time for us to be put into a table where we get 300 million a year for just being a member.
You could argue that out of the founding members no team would benefit financially from the Super League more than us.
The fear is now if Mr Perez can tweak the concept and convince these business people that there can be zero legal consequences, then this idea will be back on the table.
Again to his credit, Mr Perez has always claimed he would woo back the founding members.
Man City and Chelsea were the first of ‘the big six’ of the EPL to pull out after 48 hours of backlash which included input from parliament and the Royal Family.
It was always believed that those two felt obliged to join their 4 English rivals to avoid being left behind.
Neither though needed the money nor could afford to break contracts.
The other 4 prem sides had committed their entire business model to this.
What do those 4 have in common?
Owned by Americans.
3 of which who have made a fortune owning American franchises who play in a pyramid which is essentially a closed shop.
The Gunners would get more prize money finishing bottom of a Super League then they would finishing 8th in the Prem.
Everything about the Super League pyramid reflects how Mr Kroenke views sports and how they should operate.
Within hours of each other, each of the big six released statements saying the same thing …….they were sorry, hadn’t realised this would be the response but were now listening.
What a crock…
These are well educated people who didn’t just wake up one day and blindly sign a piece of paper without proper thinking.
They knew their fanbase wouldn’t be happy and it’s an insult to pretend otherwise.
They used Covid as an experiment to see if in the worst case the sport could function without supporters and would now use Asia and South America as their target audience.
Overseas network would compensate for Sky and BT walking away.
Make no mistake, Arsenal pulled out because the other 5 did, simple as that.
Our Gunners were going to be taken away from us, eventually moved to LA where we would lose most weeks with zero consequence.
It didn’t happen because the Premier League is one of England’s biggest brands.
When the future king and Prime Minister are discussing how to protect the national game, then the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
Yet what if players can still play in the World Cup and the Euros?
What if clubs can still play domestically?
That’s why Perez will be delighted this weekend.
He will care less about his own clubs sanctions and more that UEFA could be forced to ‘unwind the actions taken against all’.
The 9 founding members were all fined in May small amounts but crucially signed an agreement that they will pay over 100 million if they ever breach again their European Club Association.
It remains a huge PR gamble for any English side to backtrack so soon after their grovelling apology.
Yet the last few days have been a victory for the 3 sole members.
If they can prove to the other 9 (who at one point were very interested) that UEFA and FIFA can’t in fact legally put sanctions in the way, then that can allow negotiations to recommence.
The other 9 equally have highly paid advisers and clearly believed UEFA were or are entitled to slap them on the wrist.
Perez always said he was happy with the notion that certain terms needed adjusting for those sensitive to change.
What if his brainwave simply replaced the Champions league?
What if everyone agreed to a promotion and relegation system?
I’m not sure how loudly but the monster named the Super League is still breathing.
As long as we are owned by the Kroenke Family, nothing is off the table.
Be kind in the comments
Dan