ECA, FIFA ‘disapprove’ breakaway Super League plans

International football governing body FIFA on Monday expressed its “disapproval” of the decision by Europe’s 12 biggest football clubs’ to launch a new breakaway Super League. 

Emphasizing the importance of solidarity, the official statement said, “Against this background, FIFA can only express its disapproval to a ‘closed European breakaway league’ outside of the international football structures and not respecting the aforementioned principles.” 

The European Club Association also issued a statement expressing its disapproval of the move. “ECA as the body representing 246 leading clubs across Europe reiterates its stated commitment to working on developing the UEFA Club Competitions (UCCs) model with UEFA for the cycle beginning 2024 and that a ‘closed super league model’ would be strongly opposed by ECA,” the body said in a statement.

Also Read: Plans for European Super League announced despite UEFA threat 

ECA confirmed on Sunday that president Andrea Agnelli resigned from the position after it issued its own disapproving statement before the plans for the Super League became official.

Deemed as the voice of most of the important European clubs, ECA gave its statement even before the exclusive 12 even made their announcement. 

One of the teams in the 12 football clubs is Juventus, which is chaired by Agnelli. Both the club and Agnelli have departed from the ECA. 

Agnelli also resigned from the UEFA executive committee as per a Juventus spokesperson confirming the Turin club’s “membership in the new Super League”, reported AFP.

Also Read: Top Premier League clubs face domestic backlash over Super League proposal

Earlier on Sunday,  UEFA called it “a cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs” and warned that the players could face international exile, reported AFP. 

According to reports, the clubs confirmed so far are Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham (all English), Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid (all Spanish), Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan (all Italian). 

The breakaway super league will have two groups made of 10 clubs and the top-three in both groups would qualify for the quarter-finals. The fourth and fifth-placed teams would compete in play-offs to secure the last eight spots.