Super League would bring 'financial fair play', says Real Madrid president

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insists the ill-fated Super League proposal would have given “financial fair play” to European football, calling UEFA a “monopoly.”

Perez was one of the architects of the plans to establish a pan-continental league that would have included AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Super League proposal, publicly announced in April, failed as clubs quickly pulled out due to opposition from domestic leagues, politicians and fans, but Perez, chairman of the organisation, still maintains it would have changed football for the better.

“The Super League is not just a competition, it's much more. It's trying to change the dynamics of football. It's freedom, it's financial fair play,” Perez told Real Madrid members at the club’s general assembly.

“The Super League is the project that will avoid situations in which clubs get indiscriminate support. It would only develop if it's compatible with the domestic leagues.”

A banner reading 'Supergreed' hangs from a gate outside Stamford Bridge stadium, home of Chelsea Football Club, during a demonstration against the breakaway European Super League.

Image credit: Getty Images
Despite the failure of the Super League plans, Perez continues to argue that something drastic must be done to reshape European football amid concerns that rival leagues can’t keep up with the Premier League, financially.

“We all heard [UEFA president Aleksander] Ceferin say he wants to change the Financial Fair-Play rules to allow states to inject money into certain clubs, which would compromise the principles of football,” Perez said.

"UEFA rejected any kind of idea or plan, clubs where threatened, their presidents were insulted all through UEFA’s president.

“It's time to remind UEFA who Real Madrid is. Real Madrid created FIFA along with seven federations, then created the Champions League in 1955 along with L'Equipe. UEFA is a monopoly.”