Europe’s top teams respond to UEFA threat of punishment. In a joint statement issued this Saturday in response to the statement released by UEFA on the 7 May (yesterday) in respect of the Super League, the three clubs said they continue to experience unacceptable third-party pressures and threats to force them to abandon the project.
Fútbol Club Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol have refused to abandon their European Super League (ESL) project despite the withdrawal of the other 9 founding clubs from the competition.
The three clubs urged FIFA and UEFA to observe the rule of law by adhering to a court ruling that ordered them to, either directly or through their affiliated bodies, refrain from taking any action which may hinder the ESL in any way while court proceedings are pending.
The clubs insisted that the material issues that led the 12 founding clubs to announce the Super League weeks ago have not gone away. They wrote:
… we reiterate that to honour our history, to comply with our obligations towards our stakeholders and fans, for the good of football and for the financial sustainability of the sector, we have the duty to act in a responsible manner and persevere in the pursuit of adequate solutions, despite the unacceptable and ongoing pressures and threats received from UEFA.
Furthermore, we reiterate to FIFA, UEFA and all football stakeholders, as we have done on several occasions since the announcement of the Super League, our commitment and determination to discuss, with respect and without intolerable pressure and in accordance with the rule of law, the most appropriate solutions for the sustainability of the whole football family.
The statement comes after UEFA has fined nine out of twelve clubs that sought to join a breakaway European Super League last month.
The nine clubs involve six Premier League sides – Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur plus Italian pair of AC Milan and Inter Milan, and La Liga’s Atletico Madrid.
Source – Pindula News
