European Super League Clubs’ Letter To FIFA, UEFA Presidents
The European Super League has sent a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin asking for co-operation.
12 clubs have signed up to a breakaway competition that has been widely condemned by football’s authorities.
Six of those clubs come from the Premier League as Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all signalled their intent to join.
Despite calling for co-operation from UEFA and FIFA the European Super League Company says in the letter, which has been seen by PA, it has already taken legal action to try to nullify the threat of clubs and players being banned from other competitions.
It reads: “We are concerned that FIFA and UEFA may respond to this invitation letter by seeking to take punitive measures to exclude any participating club or player from their respective competitions.
“We hope that is not your response to this letter and that, like us, your organisations will recognise the immediate benefits of the competition established by SLCo.
“We also seek your cooperation and support on how the competition can be brought within the football ecosystem and work with us to achieve that objective.
“Your formal statement does, however, compel us to take protective steps to secure ourselves against such an adverse reaction, which would not only jeopardise the funding commitment under the grant but, significantly, would be unlawful.
“For this reason, SLCo has filed a motion before the relevant courts in order to ensure the seamless establishment and operation of the competition in accordance with applicable laws.”
The letter says that the Super League has obtained a binding commitment from a financial institution to underwrite funding for the competition and its clubs in the region of four billion euros (approximately £3.5billion).
The letter stresses the financial impact of the pandemic on clubs, saying: “The grant will provide the financial stability that is urgently needed, not only for the participants to launch the competition, but also for football stakeholders at large, as the competition is expected to materially enhance existing solidarity payments and provide greater benefits to the football family than those available under existing pan-European club competitions.”
The fluid situation continues to develop as United quit the European Club Association and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward leaves his role on UEFA’s Professional Football Strategy Council.
