December 28, (THEWILL) – The UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, has described the failure of the proposed European Super League (ESL) as the continental football governing body’s biggest win in 2021.
THEWILL recalls that in April 2021, some of Europe’s top clubs attempted to create a new competition. However, its introduction was met with broad backlash and immediate criticism, with fans decrying the competition’s exclusivity and secretive nature.
Following widespread public outrage, almost all of the teams swiftly announced their withdrawals.
There remains an underlying need to reform the football calendar, with suggestions for a World Cup every two years gathering traction, but Ceferin believes the swift rejection of the ESL was a watershed moment in 2021.
Writing on UEFA’s website, Ceferin went over the year the body has had: “Over the past 12 months, every member of our community has made a telling contribution to these standout successes – national associations, players, domestic leagues, clubs, coaches, match officials, fans, our partners and the media.
“However, our most significant achievement deserves more recognition – protecting the European sports model that guides the mission of UEFA, its member associations and countless other sporting organisations.
“Based on a pyramid structure that connects grassroots football at the bottom to elite clubs at the top, the model works on a double premise. Not only is revenue from professional competitions reinvested across the game; clubs are also promoted or relegated on sporting merit.
“Last April’s ill-fated attempt to launch a closed ‘super league’, which focused only on filling the bank accounts of a few clubs, threatened values that lie at the very heart of the European sports model and UEFA’s mission. Its demise, driven by political and popular condemnation from across the continent, was our most significant, shared victory in 2021.
“I would like to extend my personal gratitude to each of you for standing with UEFA at such a challenging moment. Your support has ensured that all our achievements, for years to come, will continue to build a sustainable future for football in Europe.”
As THEWILL reported, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus are still interested in forming a new European competition, though it is difficult to see how it would come to fruition considering how vehemently the notion was rejected by supporters.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
