February 25, (THEWILL) – Former Juventus Chairman, Andrea Agnelli, has doubled down on his support for the European Super League, warning that fans may lose interest in football if the project fails.
Agnelli, who left Juve last November amid an investigation into their financial dealings, has been one of the most prominent backers of the Super League. Despite facing strong opposition from fans, media, and players, Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid have remained committed to the controversial project.
In his first interview since leaving the Bianconeri, Agnelli emphasised the need to break UEFA’s monopoly to give clubs a financially stable future, arguing that the current system does not offer a future to many clubs such as Ajax, Anderlecht, Celtic, Benfica, Panathinaikos and Red Star Belgrade, among others.
He said, “Apart from the lack of financial stability, the winners of many championships, national and international, are practically known in advance. Especially, thanks to the income that clubs get from the transfer market. England leads the way in this respect, and you can see how sumptuously the Premier League is represented in the final stages of European cup tournaments, with Spain close behind and some clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. But in a sporting competition, it is important that every participant has the chance to win. So also Ajax, Feyenoord and Juventus.”
These comments come ahead of a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union on whether FIFA and UEFA would be breaching EU competition law by sanctioning clubs for taking part in breakaway tournaments. Agnelli was suspended from football for two years by the Italian FA in January after the investigation into the Turin club’s finances.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
