Superlega: all the pros and all the cons

It's guns blazing time. Or, if you prefer bluffs. Only later, once a decision has been made on the fate of this year's Champions League, will it be possible to attempt the path of compromise, which is not easy in any case. First, however, UEFA will have to choose: a hard line, i.e. immediately out three of the four semi-finalists of the current edition (Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid) plus two from the Euroleague (Arsenal and Manchester United) paving the way for a final Rome-Villareal, which would be really curious. Or update the decisions and try to save the European too. 

THE CUP TO PSG? VICTORY OF PYRRUS. AND THE EUROLEAGUE TO ROMA

In the first case, the sporting verdict could attribute the big-eared cup to Paris Saint Germain of the sheikhs who have always been chasing success. But it is not only for this reason that the Parisian club, despite being solicited, has not chosen the path of the rebels. Sheikh Nasser El Khelaifi is also the owner of the TV rights of the Champions League for different countries through BEIN. But, above all, in 2022 Qatar will host the World Cup. There is no need to question the headquarters again by challenging UEFA. The choice of Doha has already claimed one victim: Michel Platini, then at the top of UEFA, struck by the bribes collected to favor the World Cup in the Gulf, under strong pressure from Nicolas Sarkozy, then at the Elysée. The United States, beaten in the ballot, did not take it well: an investigation by the FBI led to a roundup of executives in Geneva and the subsequent resignation of Sepp Blatter.

WHY ARE FRANCE AND GERMANY OUT?

In short, whoever touches football does so at their own risk. Not by chance, the schism of the 12 rebels has been at the center of political news since Sunday. With the result, for now, of having put together Boris Johnson, the toughest together with Emmanuel Macron, in condemning the insurgents. This is the first time this has happened since Brexit. Italy and Spain have cautiously endorsed the condemnation in the name of sporting meritocracy. 

The "schism", however, did not involve the Rhine axis of the European Union: both the French clubs and those of the Bundesliga have rejected, at least for now, the advances of the secessionists. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, soul of Bayern and destined to succeed Andrea Agnelli in UEFA, has also admitted to having had more contacts with the rebel front. But in the end he said no. Partly due to the state of grace of German football (growing audience, growth of equal rivals at home), partly because, as in France, they are knocking on elections. In short, this is not the time to challenge the leaders. 

THE ACCUSATION: A FOOTBALL ONLY FOR THE RICH

Beyond geopolitics, the game is played on multiple terrains. For the avoidance of doubt this morning FIFA president Gianni Infantino has sided with the European football government, denying in fact possible openings. The UEFA front is strengthened by two arguments on an ethical level: the principle of merit and, in parallel, the refusal of the division between "rich" and "poor". Some ironically, the field has already responded to Andrea Agnelli who recklessly declared a year ago that Atalanta didn't have the numbers to participate in a European SuperLeague. The charm of football has always consisted in the unpredictability of the game, which allows any Leicester to be right over the billionaires of the Premier League. It makes no sense to exclude the poorest, who are forced to contend with teams that, once the Super League has started, would have turnovers at least ten times higher.

PEREZ: THIS IS A BLOOD BATH, YOU NEED TO CHANGE

Too much rhetoric, replies the Real Madrid president Florentino Perez , charismatic leader of the revoluciòn. “This isn't a league for the rich, it is a league to save football”. Of course, the clubs involved are almost all heavily indebted, but this is a consequence of a system that no longer works: takings are falling, interest is falling (especially from young people) while the system remains rigid on the expenditure front. The president of Real (as well as patron of the European motorways) says: “The public is declining, rights are decreasing and something had to be done. We are all ruined. Television must change us as well. Enough with the image of the rich fools”. “Overall we have lost 5 billion – he added – In two seasons Madrid has lost 400 million”. 

EXPAND THE CHAMPIONS? IT DOESN'T GO FOR THE REBELS

Andrea Agnelli recently stressed that the problems, already existing, have become unsustainable at the time of the pandemic: the minor leagues have disappeared, no one uses the fields in the suburbs anymore and football, if something is not done, is destined to lose its appeal for the youngest. Nor can suffering clubs be asked to support the investments necessary for a relaunch. Unless things change. Perez agrees: "Young people are no longer interested in football because there are many poor quality matches and they have other platforms to distract themselves on", he explained, underlining that "the right answer is not to expand the Champions League as UEFA did ”. ”If we continue like this there will be less and less interest and then the end will come. The new format, which will start in 2024, is absurd… we will all be dead in 2024".

NO REPENTANCE FOR EXPENSES SPARE

How did we get to this point? Under accusation are spending sprees typical of presidents who cry misery. Yesterday Tottenham, one of the splitters, fired José Mourinho who, by contract, will be able to claim more than 50 million pounds… All attempts to bring expenses under control have failed miserably. And in the meantime the system has enriched the prosecutors. Now, in response, do the lords of football aim to increase the revenue that will finance a lucky few? And nobody pays. On the contrary. A system is developed that does not provide for relegations, betraying the spirit of European sport. Because, where there are relegations, there are also promotions.

RETURNS? THIS IS WHY THERE ARE NOT IN THE USA

We acknowledge that reality has changed, the splitters reply. Investors from Asia and the United States have arrived to support the system, enticed by the possibility of making football a profitable business like basketball or American football. One of the pillars of that system is the possession of the franchise, which has a specific patrimonial value. Who buys a club, buys (once the guarantees are respected) the right to compete, a right that can also be sold. But be careful: once the risk of going backwards has been eliminated, other reforms can be put in the pipeline, starting from salary cap. Regarding the promotions, the mechanism of the five teams that will join the founders can be revised upwards.

RISK OF LOSING THE TVS

For now the TVs are silent. But it is obvious that JP Morgan, the bank that initiated the operation, has already tested the ground. Up for grabs is not only tournament exclusivity, but also i various formats that can be studied to make the show more suitable for various media. There is a large audience that is not interested in following the full 90 minutes. “When you have no other source of revenue than television, the solution is to create more interesting matches for fans around the world to see with all the big clubs, and we have come to the conclusion that by having a Super League, rather than a Champions League, we will be able to partially recover what we have lost,” Perez said again. 

THE SERIE A WITHOUT THE THREE BIG? A CATASTROPHE

And now? At first sight the clash is inevitable. But it's not good for anyone. To begin with, the informal meeting of the Serie A presidents proved that there is no hypothesis of a championship without Juventus, Inter and Milan which represent about half of the audience of fans (and probably something more among the subscribers of the various platforms). And by the way, little yellow, it has created suspicion  the silence of Aurelio De Laurentis: Isn't it, as a malicious rumor suggests, that JP Morgan is in contact with the producer for a later stage entry? In fact, for now there is enough confusion without bringing up other issues. 

As the hours go by it seems less and less likely that UEFA will take the hard line, at least for now. Given the current Community legislation, it is very difficult for a judge to approve the exclusion of a club from the championship or a player from the national selection without violating the principle of the free movement of athletes. 

Here the opinion of Antoine Duval, the lawyer who won the appeal of two Dutch skaters excluded from the national team for having preferred a private tournament- “The case – he tells Le Monde – is not really comparable. But I believe that if UEFA chose this path, an appeal from a club would be enough to suspend the sanctions in view of a very complex legal confrontation". In short, paralysis. Therefore? “The two sides will glower at each other for a while. The risk only concerns the World Cup in Qatar". 

In the meantime, we'll see. "If we reach an agreement with UEFA we want to start in August, otherwise, we can wait a year," concluded Perez conciliatory. “Ours is not a solution for the rich, it is a league to save football".