To a standing ovation in November 2021, Florentino Pérez told the members’ assembly that Real Madrid and Barcelona would not give up on winning the Super League and that someone ought to remind UEFA of Real Madrid’s identity. They would go it alone when the chips were down.
He declared “freedom” had won in front of the team’s fourteen European Cups two years later, displaying quiet yet powerful strength. Pérez added that football has it too. “We are in charge of our own destiny.” He added that the European Court of Justice ruling was “before and after.”
The head of the league, Javier Tebas, restated his go-to ironic statement, “Florentino always wins.” Tebas was careful to remind us that this time, the president of Real Madrid did favour the idea of a Super League, even though the ruling did not. Pérez stated that threats and intimidation were the reason behind it; he has consistently depicted Madrid as the world’s saviour squad and as the victims of individuals in positions of control whose ominous authority he had questioned.
Reminding everyone that Madrid was a trailblazer in the creation of the European Cup was rather humorous. A five-minute film featuring images from Madrid’s most illustrious era in European history accompanied Berton Braley’s poem “The Will to Win.”
Joan Laporta, the president of Barcelona, was Pérez’s lone, if unexpected, supporter in this whole ordeal, and he was maintaining his more accommodative stance from earlier in the month. “Barcelona’s stance does not in any way contradict the Spanish League,” he stated.
Official data shows that 60% of Spanish football supporters support the two large clubs, powerful political entities that receive a disproportionate amount of partisan media exposure without a severe Super League response. Not everyone forgets that English fans brought the whole thing down.
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There have occasionally been undertones of jealousy and even a sense of lost, hazy purity. Though lacking the financial clout of the Premier League, many of those Spanish supporters could care less about what happens to the other teams in the league, which is beginning to consider itself a de facto Super League. Moreover, they show no respect for the league, federation, or Uefa—bodies that their teams are affiliated with and whom they view as deceitful competitors.
Supporters of Real Madrid and Barcelona are significantly more likely than those of Manchester United or Liverpool to embrace the possibility of a breakaway or maybe the end of domestic competition. Due to the prejudice of both media in favour of their respective clubs, this decision was presented as a victory—possibly a more decisive one than it would likely turn out to be. There had been a steady build-up to the Spanish ruling over the preceding six months: a legal win would guarantee the Super League’s formation.
Antonio García Ferreras dropped three “bombs” in his inaugural editorial on La Sexta: “the Super League has won,” “this was a before and after,” and “Uefa’s monopoly is over,” all of which implied that their exclusive, successful club had been shut down. Despite the threats, only Madrid and Barcelona persisted and were ultimately found not guilty. Free games will also be available. One of Pérez’s closest friends is García Ferreras, the Real Madrid head of communications.
“I bet you 25 dinners that there’s no Super League in two years or six or eight,” Tebas said in an interview. Like drunken pub thoughts at 5 a.m., the project.
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He declared them “intoxicated.” about six a.m. Thursday. Despite his claims, his day of tweets, speeches, interviews, press conferences, and combativeness showed he wasn’t confident.
Football fans around Europe praised him. Madrid and Barcelona believed that if they won in court and presented their new plan, the Super League would be revived. They also believed that some of the biggest teams were secretly behind them. That didn’t happen.
La Liga moved rapidly and energetically. Sevilla and Atletico Madrid spoke about their desire to skip the match. All Spanish teams playing on Thursday will wear the anti-Super League shout, “Earn it on the pitch.” All except Real Madrid. La Liga’s TV broadcasters will emphasise this. National supporters’ groups’ criticism of the Super League will be seen as an institutional warning against one group of interested parties, not a popular uproar.
Although a Super League may not result from this, the power dynamics are altered. For the big two, regaining some power is worth it in and of itself. Laporta presented it as a chance to confront Uefa head-on this week rather than as a breakaway.
After winning the first fight, Pérez declared, “Our destiny is in our own hands.” Our ability to design and plan innovative events that draw global spectators is now well known. Europe triumphed again. Football and its fans won. More than two years of suffering ended with law, justice, truth, and freedom. Football and sports history are celebrated on this great day and the days before and after it.
Even if they are still Madrid and Barcelona, they are still distinct entities. Uefa had received a report about it.
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