A new club has announced it is ready to join the European Super League, which has made its return to the spotlight after recent events.
On Thursday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that it is unlawful for FIFA and UEFA to prohibit sides from participating in interclub football competitions, and with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona publicly backing the ruling, SSC Napoli are the first to have followed suit, according to Agenzia Anza.
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The Italian outlet further reports that the Serie A side's president Aurelio De Laurentiis has welcomed the ECJ's decision and "would be ready" participate in dialogues with other big clubs from Europe to take the project further.
"I spoke to Florentino Perez [Real president] and we agree on meeting with other entrepreneurs to discuss about future plans," De Laurentiis told Corriere dello Sport, via Fabrizio Romano.
"Football is being managed by old people with no vision."
The idea of the European Super League was first brought forward in 2021, and was initially planned to consist of 12 of Europe's footballing powerhouses, including Los Blancos, Barca, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool, among others, but intense backlash from supporters across the continent pressured 10 of those teams into withdrawing from the tournament.
The company leading the ESL project, media firm A22 Sports, has proposed a new form of the competition following the ECJ ruling, one that would consist of 64 participating clubs in three tiers.
Our proposed new men's ESL competition is a league structure based on a true pan-European pyramid: It will consist of 64 participating clubs in three tiers. Watch the video to learn more about the key elements. #BetterForFootball pic.twitter.com/yHfhVaPTFt
— A22 Sports (@A22Sports) December 21, 2023
However, many major European clubs have publicly rejected the proposed competition.
Sides including United, Bayern and other Italian teams have affirmed their commitment to participating in their respective domestic competitions, as well as tournaments hosted by UEFA, rejecting the ESL.
"We have taken note of the judgement of the European Court of Justice," the Bavarians' CEO Jan Christian Dreesen said in an official club statement.
"However, this does not change FC Bayern's and the ECA's position that such a competition would be an attack on the importance of the national leagues and the structure of European football."
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FIFA, meanwhile, released a statement in which they highlighted their belief in the pyramid structure, to which "football owes its long and successful history". The organisation added that it will continue to promote their principles "in the interest of all football fans worldwide".
FIFA statement on Court of Justice of the European Union ruling on European Superleague CompanyFIFA has taken note of the ruling issued today by the Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to the European Superleague Company SL.FIFA will now analyse the decision in…
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) December 21, 2023
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