“It doesn’t make sense” – UEFA president denies Joan Laporta claims

Barcelona and Real Madrid remain hopeful that the European Super League will come to fruition, although there continues to be pushback. And one of the biggest names calling for the end to the proposed competition is UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

During the summer, it was claimed by Barcelona president Joan Laporta that UEFA officials met with those involved in the Super League, although this has now been emphatically denied by Ceferin, as per Politico (via Diario AS).

“If UEFA was negotiating with the promoters of the Super League, the UEFA president does not know. And unbeknownst to me, it makes no sense. So that’s not true. Of course we communicated, not me personally, but with both clubs from Spain. I also had a meeting with Laporta, everything is fine, but that is not a negotiation.

“The system or the new format of the Champions League will not change, that is clear. Both clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, will always be welcome back into the European football family, where they have always belonged.”

Ceferin also gave his thoughts on LaLiga’s plans to host one of their matches at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, United States.

“We are not happy, but, no matter how much we have checked legally, we do not have much room for manoeuvre if the federation agrees, and both federations too. But I think that, going forward, we will have to discuss this very seriously, because football should be played in Europe, fans should watch it at home; they cannot travel to Australia or the United States to see their teams.

“We will also open this conversation with FIFA and with all the federations, because I don’t think it will be positive. If it is an exception, fine; if there is a reason, fine; but, in principle, European teams should play in Europe because the fans who cheer them on live in Europe. It’s a great tradition. And just today we were commenting that we will have to open this conversation for the future.”