The Atlético de Madrid's adhesion to the Superliga project started by twelve European clubs and of which the rojiblanco team is a founding member has caused concern among the rojiblancos fans, expressed by the Union of Peñas, and with some specific cases of Peñas that are considering breaking ties if the rojiblanco team ends up playing the competition, although no partner or group has been discharged for the moment.
The statement of this Tuesday from the International Union of Peñas del Atlético de Madrid, an organization that brings together more than 300 clubs of the 845 that are registered in the rojiblanco club, It has been the latest expression of a concern that has circulated on social networks since the project was announced.
This association of supporters declared “against any project that is forged behind the backs of the fans”, he demanded “that the representatives of the fans be listened to” and asked that “any new competition” be organized “based on the principles of solidarity and sporting merit.”
In the same statement, the Unión de Peñas del Atlético considered that this new competition aims to “increase the economic benefit of a few clubs ignoring the impact it may have on national competitions” and described as “a great mistake” to carry out a project “without the voice of the fans.”
“We are particularly suspicious of seeing our Atleti go hand in hand with those who have sponsored this project with their backs to the values with which this hobby identifies”, adds the statement of this organization, whose spokesman acknowledged to EFE that “many” rojiblancas clubs “do not agree” although they are not aware that there have been any that have decided to withdraw.
Among those that have explicitly expressed their intention to leave the club in the event that the Super League plays is the Peña Atlética Gabriel Fernández de La Rambla (Córdoba), which made its intention to do so public on Monday.
“Although Atleti has officially announced that it is a founding club, we are hopeful that this Super League will fail. If this is not the case and the first day of that league is played, we will call the club and we will unsubscribe as an official club, “a spokesman for this club, founded in 2018, confirmed to EFE.
This Tuesday, the Peña Atlética Second Parties, located in Madrid and founded in 2014, took a similar decision, which when contacted by EFE referred to the statement distributed on its social profile on Twitter in which it indicated that “we will dissolve the club if our leaders continue linking our destiny to the financial whims of Florentino Pérez “, referring to the president of Real Madrid and the Super League.
Another of the clubs that has been critical of the movement is one of the 56 international groups of rojiblancos supporters, the Peña Atlética Argentina 'Cholo' Simeone, located in Buenos Aires (Argentina), whose president, María Azul, explained to EFE that they are “in discussion” about what position to take. “We have to discuss whether to cancel our membership as an official club or what to do. Yes, I have heard that many supporters want to do it, but I don't know if they will,” he added.
A peña with the longest history, the Peña Atlética Arteche, founded in Getafe (Madrid) in 1984, assures that its members do not think “in any case” to disassociate themselves from the club.
“Another thing is that the idea does not seem good to us and we think that as football is currently, it meets the expectations of the fans and, therefore, we would like to continue playing national competitions”, argues a spokesman for this group to EFE.
At the moment, no club or any member – the club has recently opened its season ticket renewal campaign – has communicated to the club its intention to unsubscribe, sources from the rojiblanca entity informed EFE.
The decision to join the Super League too could take its toll on the Wanda Metropolitano museum, inaugurated in September with the name 'Territorio Atleti' and which exhibits a large number of objects and T-shirts from the red-and-white history.
One of the rojiblancos fans who have donated pieces to this collection, Jesús Ruiz, expressed in networks his decision to withdraw his objects in the event that Atlético ends up contesting the Super League. “I understand Atleti in a different way. So I have already communicated to the club my intention to withdraw all the shirts and objects that I gave to the Museum”, posted on Twitter.
Contacted by EFE, the collector who has donated seven shirts and 2 pairs of boots, in addition to six other elastic ones for the commemorative exhibition for the 25 years of the 1996 League and Cup 'Double' explained that it is “a personal decision” .
“I do not agree with Atlético de Madrid's decision. I have contacted the club and they still have not answered me”, He assured Ruiz, who clarified that he would reverse his decision if the project does not come true or if the club first asks the fans for their opinion. “And if he plays it after consulting with the fans, he would also leave them,” concluded the collector.
Atlético officially ratified its status as a founding member of the Super League on Monday, in which Real Madrid and Barcelona participate as Spanish teams, along with the Italians Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, and the English Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea , Manchester United and Tottenham, a competition that, according to its organizers, would have 20 teams, 15 with a fixed place and five that would be classified by sporting merits.