(Reuters) – Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has expressed his approval of the European Court of Justice’s decision regarding the Super League project, stating that UEFA and FIFA fail to comprehend the sporting business and the necessity to increase club revenues.
The top court in Europe declared that the ruling bodies had violated EU law by preventing the formation of a Super League. However, clubs and leagues united to condemn the project and pledged to participate in competitions organized by UEFA.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are the only clubs from Spain that still support the Super League project. De Laurentiis revealed that he spoke to Real Madrid President Florentino Perez about the situation.
“The Super League was a misguided move in 2021, but it brought about this change. Now we need to carefully consider our next steps,” De Laurentiis told Corriere dello Sport.
“I spoke with Florentino Perez and we are in agreement that we need to involve genuine entrepreneurs in the discussions, not just symbolic presidents. Because currently, football is being managed by older individuals, who lack vision above all.”
Napoli, the champions of Italy, were not part of the original 12 clubs that proposed the breakaway league in 2021. The three Serie A teams involved were Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan.
Milan and Inter withdrew from the project within 48 hours following a backlash from fans and the threat of penalties. Juventus chose to withdraw earlier this year after changes were made to the club’s board.
The EU’s top court stated that FIFA and UEFA had exerted their dominance by prohibiting clubs from participating in a European Super League when they were confronted with sanctions.
“The dominant position of UEFA and FIFA, which Europe condemns today, has resulted in rewards being given in return for consent,” De Laurentiis added.
“Those who have been running the show as monopolists have failed to realize that football is a business that requires an increase in revenue.
“If I am going to invest hundreds of millions into participating in a circus that yields minimal profits and forces me to play more and more just to sustain an unproductive enterprise, the game is not worth it.”
(Reporting by Federico Maccioni in Milan and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
