Paris (AFP)
The proposed European Superleague between big clubs, which has resurfaced to compete with the UEFA Champions League, would represent "a real danger for the world of football," said Minister for Sports Roxana Maracineanu on Sunday, criticizing a " VIP club of a powerful few ".
In unison with the Elysee Palace, she reaffirmed the opposition of the French authorities "to the creation of a closed European league" which would threaten the pyramid structure of European football and the redistribution of resources between the C1, European queen event , and national championships ".
"A system without sporting criteria for accession which brings together a VIP club of a few powerful represents not only the negation of sporting merit but also a real danger for the world of football," said Ms. Maracineanu in a statement sent to AFP.
"I am deeply attached to the system of solidarity which is ours. Such a project would seriously weaken the current system based on redistribution and sporting merit. France is in support of UEFA and world bodies to protect football from this market madness, "she insisted.
His position comes after that of the Presidency of the Republic which, rare in terms of sports organization, spoke in the afternoon.
"The President of the Republic welcomes the position of French clubs to refuse to participate in a European football Superleague project threatening the principle of solidarity and sporting merit," the Elysee told AFP, saying he wanted to "protect the 'integrity of federal competitions, whether national or European ".
As a follow-up to these two political speeches, the French Football Federation (FFF) and the Professional Football League (LFP) also protested on Sunday against the possible launch of a European Superleague.
"The hegemonic dreams of an oligarchy will result in the disappearance of a European system which has allowed football an unprecedented development on the continent", argued the two bodies.
"The Superleague project will put an end to a system based on sporting merit and which has been able to set up mechanisms of solidarity with all the European federations", they added.
Faced with a possible "Superleague" between rich clubs, UEFA threatened to exclude the dissident teams on Sunday, straining the atmosphere before a crucial meeting Monday for the future of its Champions League, directly competed by this tournament project closed.
© 2021 AFP