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fter reports emerged of Europe’s top football clubs planning to create a European super league to offset the financial losses of the COVID-19 pandemic, global governing body FIFA, along with its six confederations, have announced their opposition to the potential new competition.
FIFA and its six continental confederations signed a joint statement indicating any player or club involved would not be allowed to participate in any international competition organised by FIFA or their respective confederation, including the FIFA World Cup.
In a joint statement, the group said: “In light of recent media speculation about the creation of a close European ‘super league’ by some European clubs, FIFA and the six confederations once again would like to reiterate and strongly emphasise that such a competition would not be recognised by either FIFA or the respective confederation.”
“Any club or player involved in such a competition would be as a consequence not be allowed to participate in any competition organised by FIFA or their respective confederation.
“The universal principles of sporting merit, solidarity, promotion and regulation, and subsidiarity are the foundation of the football pyramid that ensures football’s global success and are, as such, enshrined in the FIFA and confederation statutes.
“Football has a long and successful history thanks to these principles.
“Participation in global and continental competitions should always be won on the pitch,” the statement read.
The statement was signed by FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, along with the heads of all six continental confederations including UEFA.
The statement also discussed plans to expand the FIFA Club World Cup to 24 teams, with the postponed 2020 FIFA Club World Cup set to take place in February in Qatar.
“As per the FIFA and confederation statutes, all competitions should be organised or recognised by the relevant body at their respective level, by FIFA at the global level and by the confederations at the continental level,” the FIFA statement said.
“In this respect, the confederations recognise the FIFA Club World Cup, in its current and new format, as the only worldwide club competition while FIFA recognised the club competitions organised by the confederations as the only club continental competitions,” the statement said.
Following the statement, reports emerged top European clubs believed the concept of banning players from international competitions would be difficult due to a recent European legal case, however this was followed by European commission vice-president, Margaritis Schinas, saying: “The European way of life is not compatible with European football being reserved for the rich and powerful.”
To read more about the plans for the creation of the European Super League, and what it would mean for Europe’s top clubs, as well as lower-level clubs, click here.
