=VIENNA 12 May (Online): The Super League project \u201cis over once and for all or at least for 20 years,\u201d UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like to call it Super league because it\u2019s everything but Super League,\u201d said the Slovenian after the Congress of the governing body of European football in Vienna.<\/p>\n
Twelve of Europe\u2019s biggest clubs signed up to the proposed new competition last April but it collapsed within days following a fierce backlash from their own players and fans, as well as governments and football\u2019s governing bodies.<\/p>\n
Nine clubs distanced themselves from the project but Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus remain on board with the concept.<\/p>\n
Ceferin \u2014 speaking the day after UEFA announced a revamp of all their club competitions including the flagship Champions League \u2014 said the trio had no chance of reviving it.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, this project is over once and for all or at least for 20 years. I don\u2019t know what will happen later,\u201d Ceferin told a press conference.
\nHe declined to comment on UEFA\u2019s disciplinary proceedings against the three hold-outs.<\/p>\n
A Madrid judge in April upheld a UEFA appeal and lifted the protection from punishment the Super league clubs obtained from another Spanish court a year earlier.<\/p>\n
Proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) are also underway in response to a query last year from a Spanish judge on whether UEFA is abusing its \u201cdominant position\u201d \u201cWe have to respect the courts and wait for the final decision. We are not in a hurry,\u201d said 54-year-old Ceferin, a sports lawyer before entering football administration.<\/p>\n
Ceferin\u2019s \u201copen\u201d model of football received support in Vienna from Margeritis Schinas, the vice president of the European Commission, who attended the Congress.<\/p>\n
The CJEU should give its answer at the end of the year.
\n\u201cThey claim we have monopoly and I said many times that nobody has to play in our competition,\u201d Ceferin said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo Federation has to be a member of UEFA. They have all the rights to create their own UEFA, they have all the right to play their own competition but of course, in our regulations, if you play another competition you cannot play our competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd this is far from being a monopoly\u201d.
\nCeferin also said that the fan violence that erupted during the European Championship final between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium last year is unacceptable and something that must never happen again.<\/p>\n
The July 11 final, won by Italy in a penalty shootout, was marred by clashes between supporters and officials in and around England\u2019s national stadium, with hundreds of ticketless fans breaching security cordons.<\/p>\n
An independent review conducted by Baroness Louise Casey in December stated it was \u201cclear we were close to fatalities and\/or life-changing injuries for some, potentially many\u201d of the fans in attendance after 17 mass breaches of Wembley\u2019s gates.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s Football Association said it was appalled at the significant levels of crowd disorder and apologised.<\/p>\n
Ceferin said that the sport had to recognise both its successes as well as its failings.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still have many problems to solve to make our sport a role model and greater source of inspiration than it is today,\u201d Ceferin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe images of violence at Wembley stadium at last year\u2019s Euro final are unacceptable. When a family goes to see a match of any competition, it should be a time for fun, celebration and enjoyment. People should feel safe in and around a stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should never feel in danger. With the authorities\u2019 help, this cannot happen again. Ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Italy will face Copa America champions Argentina on June 1 at Wembley in a game entitled the \u201cFinalissima\u201d which was agreed in September shortly after UEFA and South America\u2019s CONMEBOL strongly opposed FIFA\u2019s plans for a biennial World Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
=VIENNA 12 May (Online): The Super League project \u201cis over once and for all or at least for 20 years,\u201d UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Wednesday. \u201cI don\u2019t like to call it Super league because it\u2019s everything but Super League,\u201d said the Slovenian after […]<\/p>\n
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