A few days after the announcement of the creation of Superliga by twelve major European clubs (including Real Madrid, Atlético and Barcelona) and its subsequent collapse, the president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, backed and accompanied by some of the presidents of the clubs with the most weight in the First Division, such as José Castro (Sevilla), Ángel Haro (Betis) Quico Catalán (Levante) Anil Murthy (Valencia) and Fernando Roig (Villarreal), He appeared before the media this Thursday to assess the controversial situation that has happened to all of European football in recent days.
Assessment of what happened: “After 25 years of threat from the Super League, which began with the G-14 and the birth of the ECA, that threat finally reached a real moment and in 48 hours it has vanished. Twenty years of waiting to see the real consequences and these are that it has dissolved like a sugar. For a while that threat will cease to exist after seeing the answer. I find it hard to believe that the English will try again in a short time. “
The secret creation: “The negative part is the message that has been given from these clubs, which come to save us. It is an objective fact that the leagues were damaged economically and meritocracy. If it were so good for football, they would not have done it clandestinely. When you do something secretly, it is because you know it is not good. “
Alternatives: “The big problem is not to increase the income of these clubs. The problem of football is to have more control of spending than of income. My position will always be the distribution of wealth and rationalization of expenses.”
Dialogue with Madrid, Barça and Atlético: “There always was until last Friday, which was the ECA meeting and the reform of the Champions was voted in favor, including some of the Super League clubs. Suddenly the Super League note comes out on Sunday night. To dialogue is not to give what they ask for, but to talk about it in the institutions and there was already an agreement. Some of the clubs did not agree with the change and have gone to blow up the system. “
About Ceferin and the sanctions: “Participation in European competitions is voluntary. It is Madrid and Barça who have to decide whether to sign up to play under UEFA conditions. I don't think Ceferin meant to kick them out, more than anything because they don't have mechanisms to do so. clubs have been sanctioned by their fans. They have enough already when very important presidents (Johnson, Macron …) have shown themselves against. The reputational sanction already has it. We in LaLiga are not going to apply sanctioning measures. In any case, before We have to look at the sanctions, we have to think of protective measures for the future so that things like this do not happen again. “
Next move: “I don't know if it is already a Bisuperliga or Trisuperliga. The project has ceased to be real. The English will never be there. The Germans will not be there either. Superliga is dead. Without English, French or Germans, it is a Bisuperliga “.
About Paratici and Florentino: Either they lie or they are wrong. They don't help football, they destroy it. I am surprised that a businessman like Florentino, of a very high level, can be wrong. Spanish football is not going to be ruined in 2024. In the crisis, Spanish football has taken the necessary measures to come out as strong as possible. Spanish football has not asked the government for help, it has paid all its taxes, the players have collected their debts … There is no catastrophe. “
Infantino's support: “The Supeliga clubs say that Infantino supported them. I would like the FIFA president to say if they were lying or not. I have my doubts.”
Compete against state clubs: “I still think the same of the state clubs, both PSG and City, and the economic control of UEFA. They must be controlled. I know that in recent years they have not done anything atrocious. That does not mean that I am against the Super League. Al Khelaifi is against it too. He is a coherent man because he wants the reform of the Champions League. I assure him that I do not agree at all economically with the president of PSG “.
From Gil Marín, vice president of the League: “They have not left LaLiga. There are more clubs. I have not spoken with Gil Marín. With Florentino obviously not because he was clandestine. I spoke with Laporta last week and told him that he was wrong and that the numbers were unreal. Gil Marín has not been in no clandestine negotiations, he was only called at the last minute to join, like some English clubs. I will speak with Gil today or tomorrow, with everything already more relaxed. “
The Super League accounts: “The losses are due to the pandemic. In the historical calculation, the great ones have given benefits. It cannot be that Florentino uses that argument to say that Madrid gives losses. In the COVID year it may be that yes, but it is not a real analysis, and the Super League is not for the COVID year, but forever. It is a Powerpoint Super League. There is not so much money in audiovisual rights in all of football as to pay for the Super League. If there is, it would be to dry up all the clubs for that they then sprinkle with a droplet to the rest of the football “.
Laporta's statements: “A week ago I had my opinion in the electoral campaign and now I have another opinion. Barça has more problems than dedicating itself to defending a Super League that is dead. Its financial problems so that the club can compete next season, for example. to end these final blows, there will be no more talk of the Super League in a while “.
Television rights: “In Spain, a Villarreal-Sevilla is more appealing than a United-City. And I say this because the numbers are there. Valladolid-Barça only had 100,000 viewers less than Liverpool-Real Madrid … They say so much nonsense that people they are believed “.
Changes in UEFA: “We are in talks with UEFA so that European economic control is similar to ours. The football governance system should be remodeled, but that does not mean that it is not against the Super League. If someone has been against the reforms It was Javier Tebas. Those in the Super League did not complain until it was bad for them. My position in UEFA is not the one I like the most, I go because I want to change things.
Galactic transfers: “If Madrid really can't do it, what it wants is income, so it destroys all that pyramid system. For Madrid to continue competing with signings, the important thing is that PSG and City are economically controlled, and in that I've been working for years, not with a Super League. “