The head of Spain’s La Liga, the national football competition featuring FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, "has come out in support of plans by China’s richest man" to launch a rival to the UEFA Champions League, according to Ahmed & Elliott of the FINANCIAL TIMES. Javier Tebas, president of Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, which runs Spain’s two top professional leagues, said there was a "greater opportunity to generate more revenue" under the breakaway plans than in the existing Champions League.
The support of one of European football’s key power brokers "will give greater credence to the proposals by Dalian Wanda Group, the property and entertainment conglomerate run by billionaire Wang Jianlin, in its attempt to create a tournament for Europe’s most prestigious clubs." Tebas said that "no agreement had been reached but that La Liga was attracted by Wanda’s concept." He said, "If [European club competition] is reorganized as Wanda has set out, there is a greater opportunity to generate more revenue from audiovisual broadcasting." Tebas also attacked UEFA "for proposed changes to the Champions League, which were announced last month following speculation the continent’s heavyweight teams were discussing a rival European 'super league.'" He said, "We’ve also become more interested in [Wanda’s] proposal since UEFA announced they will be reforming [the Champions League], without seriously consulting -- in detail -- their broader reform plans with the other national leagues" (FT, 9/11).
'UNSTOPPABLE': In London, Jack Austin wrote European Professional Football League Dir Jacco Swart said that a World Super League appears to now be "unstoppable." Jacco claims the move is only "a few short years away." European football’s top clubs "are looking to form a breakaway league involving the wealthiest teams from around the world." They are looking to involve club’s from China, the U.S., Brazil, Australia and South Africa in an expanded Champions League-style format "to be played alongside their domestic leagues." However, while he says that no one can stop the plans, Swart "warned the gap between the rich clubs and the rest will be 'beyond repair.'" Swart: "It will be an exclusive party for the happy few -- for the biggest football brands in the world. This new Super League will be driven by TV markets, huge sponsors, branding and marketing all over the world and not by real football factors" (INDEPENDENT, 9/11).
