Real Madrid president Florentino Perez launched a stinging attack at UEFA's new incoming Champions League format change as he reiterated his desire for a European Super League.
The announcement of the continent-wide competition sparked immediate outcry from fans around the world back in 2021 when 12 founder clubs announced their participation. Right now, only Madrid and Barcelona remain as the sole survivors.
Juventus finally confirmed their plan to pull out earlier this year in June.
The European Court of Justice will give its final ruling on the validity of European Super League on December 21 and decide whether or not UEFA and FIFA acted lawfully in blocking the tournament's creation and seeking sanctions for the clubs involved.
Speaking at Madrid's annual general meeting, Perez again insisted the new competition is required to rejuvenate European football.
He said: "The situation is very serious, either we react now or football will not survive.
"The main problem is that there are managers who act without thinking about the fans, European football does not belong to the president of UEFA nor the Spanish one to that of La Liga.
"The Super League is more necessary than ever, the objective is to offer the best football and it is the clubs that have to control their destiny.
"There are more and more clubs that lose millions every year no matter how much money their owners have. And I demand more rules for Financial Fair Play, which some clubs fail to comply with without any consequences. This situation is not stable, it cannot be.
"The new UEFA format is an unusual and absurd project. This model will further alienate fans of our sport and especially the youngest ones."
From 2024/25, 36 teams will take part in the Champions League in one comprehensive table. The top eight teams go straight into the last 16 while positions nine to 24 are entered into a play-off for spots in that stage of the competition.
Perez has previously spoken of the need for football to cater to the desires of younger fans, promising that a cheaper product will be available to watch with the creation of the European Super League.
He added: "We have the obligation to offer the fans the best possible show. We also want to make access to televised football cheaper. It makes no sense to have to pay 10% of you minimum wage to have access to watching football. The Super League was conceived to solve all these problems. I continue to trust in the justice of the European Union because UEFA does not have the right to a monopoly on football in the Europe of freedoms."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Real Madrid president reveals why European Super League is 'more necessary than ever'.
