Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been boasting about participants in the European Super League (ESL), only for it to backfire instantly.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only founding members still remaining from the failed project, which recently received a lifeline of sorts.
A European court ruled that UEFA could not monopolise the running of football competitions, bringing new hope for the ESL.
The organisation behind the competition came out with a new format, and began boasting about the teams involved.
Laporta has now named those ready to go in an interview with RAC1.
“Inter, Milan, Napoli, Roma; any team in their league,” he said.
“All Spanish teams except for Atlético Madrid, which has another position, Marseille, the three Portuguese teams, Benfica, Sporting and Porto.
“The three Dutch, Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV and two Belgians, Anderlecht and Bruges.”
Barely had the words slipped out of his mouth before another president bit back.
Marseille director Pablo Longoria offered an instant repost, saying: “I consider that having three or four competitions organized by so many different organizers is a catastrophe for football.
“If this is the case, I see a difficult future for the world of football. This is not the time for division.
“On the question of the Super League and OM, I would like to completely deny it.”
If that denial wasn’t enough of a blow for Laporta and Florentino Perez, the former had little to boast about anyway, admitting Premier League sides and PSG won’t be joining.
“PSG already rules UEFA,” he said. “As for the English, it has been very clear, they already have their own Super League.”
Leave a Reply