Barcelona center-back Gerard Pique has agreed with the almost universal condemnation of the Super League and insists that it would not have the positive economic effects that those involved promised it would do.
Although the most insistent was the Super League little more than an attempt to take money from the richest teams in football, Real Madrid president and league chairman Florentino Perez insisted that the proceeds would be shared with domestic leagues and would “save football” as a result.
48 hours of Super League madness. ?
Summarized in 1 minute. pic.twitter.com/1KBhi0teK7
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) April 21, 2021
It’s an argument that did not convince many fans, and Pique admitted to Movistar that he could not see how such a large cash flow would be sustainable in the long run.
“I would say it is not a positive decision for football in the long run,” he said. “They say that the domestic leagues will stay and remain competitive. But the figures do not fit. At present, the Champions League receives 3.5 billion euros in TV revenues and they say that the Super League can [eventually] triple revenue for the clubs.
“If you talk to specialists and TV rights experts, they will tell you that this change is not possible because the money is not available for it on the market.
“So, at first they say the domestic leagues will stay, but the years will pass and then the banks and investment funds that have put in their money will calculate that income. [want to see a return].
Pique crushed the numbers | BSR Agency / Getty Images
“And when it does not arrive, the clubs have to make a decision because there will be losses because it is not sustainable. And the clubs will decide that it must be a weekend game and they will leave their domestic leagues. And there will be a competition Wednesday-Saturday .
“That’s how I see it. That it will slowly eat into the revenue streams of the domestic leagues. And that’s how the numbers add up. You’re destroying the whole system to achieve that.
“Do we want this for football? Is that what we want? That Sevilla, Valencia, Everton, Leicester, Napoli, etc. disappear? Because these clubs stop becoming worthless. That’s where we’re going.”
Although he criticized the Super League plans, Pique agreed with his basic concept that UEFA’s current system does not do enough to support everyone.
Football belongs to the fans. Today more than ever.
– Gerard Piqué (@ 3gerardpique) April 20, 2021
“I’m not saying the current installation is perfect,” he added. “It is clear that the model must change. We must find the balance so that the big teams can coexist with the not so big teams.
“In La Liga and in UEFA, bigger teams should somehow carry more weight. Maybe more votes or more revenue. But to break everything, to break the ecosystem … you ruin jobs. There are what, 400 players in each and every one. one of the top five leagues? Plus Holland, Belgium etc. If you have a 20-team [European Super] League, there will not be as many people living off football. “
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