Agnelli: “If the Super League continues? Twelve teams have signed hundreds of pages…”

Andrea Agnelli, president of Juventus and one of the founders of the Super League, was the last to appear at the Business of Football Summit organized by the Financial Times in London. He did it in the afternoon, hours after Ceferin and Tebas had spoken to charge, precisely, against the Super League project. But Agnelli avoided entering into a confrontation, and defended his project as “the need for a profound change in football”.

Before starting the debate, Agnelli asked for 38 seconds: “First of all, it is a pleasure to be here. Before coming, many have talked about Ukraine and since I believe that football is peace, I am here. Football is a positive message for society. It is important to remember what they said at the beginning of this event: to increase competitiveness and reduce inequality. That is why I understand that the EU has implemented the NexGeneration funds. Now UEFA wants to apply a new financial fair play. But European football needs a profound change. I am not going to answer questions from Thebes, we have all heard the words of him, which are the ones that describe him “.

Sustainability: “If we don’t create something sustainable, it will end up falling apart. I have a lot of confidence in the judges of the European Union, who will be the ones who will decide if UEFA operates under a monopoly. You have to have the possibility to enter a market and promote your business.”

On Ceferin’s accusation that the founders are lying: “UEFA held a convention and I said that I was studying alternatives to the current system both nationally and internationally. After that, they recognized me as eligible for a position on the committee. The important thing is that I was clear with UEFA.”

The moment when he was convinced of the Super League project: “I can’t remember. I think it’s a collective thing, from twelve teams that have signed hundreds of pages. It’s still binding on eleven of those clubs.”

On his intentions with the Super League: “I represent a family that has owned a club for 96 years, the longest. We created the project and announced it. That was the way, and for once, it was to announce something, not to intimidate anyone. In my opinion commitment is no longer an election. We want to continue in domestic competitions and be able to organize the Super League. When I was at the ECA, I wanted the clubs to be the organizers of the competitions. But with the pandemic, we need greater regulation. They cannot be had three roles at the same time as UEFA has: negotiation of television rights, management…”.

Judicial investigation into Juventus and its alleged mismanagement: “I do not agree. We have had a period of expansion with an increase in capitalization to stay competitive in Europe. We completed it in January 2020 and then the pandemic came, which stopped operations. That is why we asked for a new capitalization. Our accounts they are audited by external agencies and I hope that everything is withdrawn. The judges have the floor”.

Super League without English: “The important thing is that how the reforms are taken. What we find is that the governance is not as it should be in football.”

Income growth as a solution: “The question is why we continue to have losses with all our income. For many clubs, entering the Champions League or not can break their budgets… We have reached a point of great polarization and the system is not working.”

Where do you see Juventus in five years? “I see Juventus playing in the best competition in the world.”