AC Milan were among the initial founders of the European Super League, and whilst they have removed themselves from the competition, the idea of a competition similar to it is a continued discussion within the footballing world.
It does not feel like it has been three years since the news broke of a European Super League, and whilst the idea faded as quickly as it was announced, discussions about a league in a similar format remain.
More than ever, football is powered by money, the mercato prices are at what feels like an all-time high, and the money being thrown around the game is ludicrous. Of course, there are benefits to this, because higher interest in the sport creates interest in clubs, which then adds commercial value to teams, something which Milan have profited from in recent years.
However, it is unlikely that the Rossoneri would ever join a league of that sort, after Gerry Cardinale stated that the competition was ‘not right for European football‘, a sentiment shared by Milan fans.
This morning, Michel Platini offered a verdict to Le Figaro on how damaging it could be for a ‘super league’ to be created in the future, whilst offering his opinion on the direction that football is gradually heading in, and his comments have been relayed by Milan News.
“Football will explode with the decision of the European Court of Justice, according to which FIFA and UEFA no longer have a monopoly on competitions. Many things will happen, and the Super League will happen. Many people call me who – like me – do not like FIFA and UEFA.
“Initially, the richest were the football countries that had big stadiums and made money. Today it is the countries that have a lot of money and want to invest: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Financial fair play was a good thing, insofar as you had to play with the money you could generate between your revenue and your deficit. Now, it is different.”
Financial Fair Play in theory made sense but the execution was poor. It also made it difficult for smaller clubs to grow or get injection of investments thus keeping the status quo or having funds/states indirectly funnelling money into bigger, more attractive clubs.
Btw funny Platini talking about not liking UEFA but was president for so long and got handed ethical conduct violations and banned from football but yet here we are..