Download
Real Madrid president Perez: European Super League continues
CGTN
Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid. /CFP

Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid. /CFP

The European Super League (ESL), the breakaway project that has been assumed dead by many, "continues" and "nothing has failed," insisted Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid and one of the creators of ESL.

ESL was founded by 12 clubs – Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Spurs from Premier League; Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan from Serie A and Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid from La Liga – before nine of them decided to quit and accepted "punishments" from UEFA.

Real, Barca and Juventus refused to bow down and such attitude drew a more threatening response from UEFA. The European football governing body launched disciplinary proceedings into the three clubs. A judge in Madrid issued a preliminary injunction based on EU competition law, putting the disciplinary on hold. The case is now with the European Court of Justice.

CGTN

CGTN

"We are calm, because of what we have, we have won," said Perez to El Transistor. "The English teams were coerced. They signed something they shouldn't have signed, because they are committed to the Super League. They wanted to punish them, and the courts have said no."

"There is a binding contract and no one can leave. The Super League continues. We went to the judge who made a ruling and said the Super League cannot be touched. UEFA cannot do anything to the people or the clubs. It's stopped. Now the court in Luxembourg must decide."

Perez has been very vocal with his support for the Super League since it's born in April. He insisted that the breakaway league was to prevent football from "dying."

"We are not excluding anyone, but everyone can't be there. A Roma-Sampdoria has less interest than a Manchester [United]-Paris Saint-Germain. The fans are in charge here," said Perez on Thursday.

Sergio Ramos (R) of Real Madrid and team president Florentino Perez pose for a portrait at Real Madrid Tribute and Farewell to Sergio Ramos in Madrid, Spain, June 17, 2021. /CFP

Sergio Ramos (R) of Real Madrid and team president Florentino Perez pose for a portrait at Real Madrid Tribute and Farewell to Sergio Ramos in Madrid, Spain, June 17, 2021. /CFP

Perez also answered questions about the departures of manager Zinedine Zidane and long-time leader Sergio Ramos as well as Real's interest in French ace Kylian Mbappe.

Perez said Zidane's resignation did not surprise him at all. "It was one of the possibilities. I spent all afternoon trying to convince him. I haven't read [the resignation letter published in Diario AS.] They told me it was bad. He didn't write it, that isn't Zidane. Someone wrote it for him," said Perez.

Ramos had been with Real since 2005 but he chose to leave this summer. "I adore Sergio. I won't talk about it. I won't give my version. We offered him a contract, we told him it had a time limit," said Perez.

It has been seasons since Real were connected with Mbappe, but Perez refused to talk much about him. "Madrid always work to have the best. I don't talk about players who aren't at Madrid. I know what the members want, they want the best here. I don't want to talk about players who aren't at Madrid because it's a lack of respect. The fans trust me."

(Second photo designed by CGTN's Li Wenyi)

Search Trends