On Wednesday evening, UEFA released a statement announcing an agreement with Real Madrid that appears to put an end to the Super League project, launched several years ago. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, president of Paris Saint-Germain and now also president of the EFC (European Football Clubs, formerly known as ECA), reacted to the news in an interview with Marca. He had very strong words for his Madrid counterpart, Florentino Pérez.
Al-Khelaïfi said he “always seeks to move things forward and improve them.”
“I am very proud and happy, and I want to thank everyone and all parties involved for this historic agreement. I thank the UEFA president, who works daily for European football, the most intelligent and humble leader, and of course Florentino Pérez, an elegant and very intelligent man, a visionary, who always seeks to move things forward and improve them.
Al-Khelaïfi: ‘Everyone has won.’
And if some people think he lost today, they are sorely mistaken and know absolutely nothing about football. The most important thing here is that everyone has won, no one has lost, football has won, and that is what we all wanted. This war was pointless.”
The mood is one of good feelings, positivity, and the idea of moving forward together. It might almost be too much, because we suspect that everything isn’t quite so idyllic. However, we prefer this to the tensions often displayed in French football in recent years. Battles fought through public statements are beneficial for no one.
After tensions and an attempt at upheaval, European football seems to have regained a sense of harmony. At least some balance. That’s a good foundation. The Champions League reform, with its group stage, has been a sporting and financial success. This has certainly helped to satisfy everyone. Let’s hope that football now continues peacefully. That would be good for France, but we’re far from that point.
