The European Parliament (EP) rejected on Tuesday that the sports policy of the European Union includes “breakthrough competitions” contrary to the principles of free competition and sporting merit, the model that, according to its critics, could be the proposed soccer Super League last April.
The opposition of the deputies is reflected in a report on the sports policy of the European Union approved this Tuesday, which is contrary to this type of parallel competitions such as the Super League that twelve clubs proposed last April (among which were Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid).
The text came forward with 597 votes in favor, 36 against and 55 abstentions.
The report, neither legislative nor binding, calls for the European Union to have a sports model that recognizes the need to commit to values such as solidarity and justice, “and therefore firmly opposes disruptive competitions that undermine these principles and jeopardize the stability of the sports ecosystem as a whole “.
Although they do not specifically name the Super League, they do reject a European model that includes this type of new competitions outside of the federative structures that already exist, such as this initiative that currently only supports three of the twelve founding clubs, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.
The Super League organization last Thursday addressed a letter to the deputies of the European Parliament in which it assured that this competition “was never a disruptive league”, since the participating clubs would have continued to take part in their respective national competitions.
“At no time did the participating clubs break any FIFA, UEFA or domestic league rules and all clubs remained committed to playing in their respective domestic leagues,” Super League promoters Anas Laghrari and John Hahn state in the letter.
In the same, they insist that the proposal was “contractually subject” to being compatible with the clubs being able to continue playing in their national leagues after recognition by UEFA or FIFA, which – they affirm – “refused to enter into any dialogue” with the responsible for the Super League or to obtain protection from the European courts, in whose hands the case is now.
The vice-president of the European Commission for the European Lifestyle, the Greek Margaritis Schinas, had already taken a position against the creation of this competition.
“We must defend a European model of sport based on values, based on diversity and inclusion. There is no margin to reserve it for the few rich and powerful clubs that want to strengthen ties with everything that the associations represent,” Schinas said on Twitter after announce the proposal in April.
The report also urges that respect for human rights be taken into account when deciding which country hosts a major sporting event and calls for a “balance between the commercial interests of professional sport and its social functions”, as well as that the wage gap and representation in the sector are addressed.
The report, which has been prepared by the Polish member of the EP Tomasz Frankowski, former player of among other clubs from Wisla Krakow, Wolverhamton, Elche, Tenerife and Nagoya, also refers to “the need to regulate the activities of agents” and recognizes the importance of the “recent reforms in the football transfer market”.
While urging “the competent sports authorities to ensure the prompt implementation of these reforms,” the document notes that various measures that FIFA is applying, such as the Clearing House, licensing requirements for agents and limits on Agent commissions “are going in the right direction.”
It also calls on public authorities, federations and sports organizations to defend human rights and democratic principles in all their actions, especially when granting the status of host of major sports events, as well as in the election of the sponsors.