Montreux (Switzerland) (AFP)
There is "not the slightest doubt" that Fifa "strongly disapproves" of the Super League project launched Monday by twelve dissident European clubs who "will have to suffer the consequences" of their breakup, its president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday.
This project wanting to supplant the Champions League is "a closed club", "dissident of existing institutions", pointed out the boss of Fifa at the opening of the annual conference of UEFA, the European football body.
"Either you are in or you are out. You cannot be half in and half out," he added, again raising the threat of exclusion of dissident clubs and their players from all over the world. national and international competitions, without however citing concrete measures.
"The promotions and the relegations are a model which has been crowned with success", still launched the leader, opposing this system of almost closed league, where the founding clubs would have their ticket guaranteed each season, instead of having to be qualify through the domestic championships.
Infantino's speech at the UEFA congress was particularly awaited by the European football world, which will need Fifa to implement the reprisals he intends to inflict on secessionist clubs, such as the one, legally discussed, to ban their players from international competitions with their selections.
A few minutes earlier, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach had also denounced the project led by six English clubs, three Spanish and three Italians.
"The European sports model is a unique approach (...) based on the opening of fair competition which gives priority to sporting merit. This model is threatened today (...), challenged by a purely guided by profit, "he lamented.
The twelve dissident clubs rocked football Europe during the night from Sunday to Monday by launching their Super League, which they want to launch as quickly as possible to compete with the traditional UEFA Champions League.
© 2021 AFP