Laporta wants the Super League to lower the English Premier League
"The Premier League will increase from five billion dollars in television rights to seven billion, and La Liga from two billion to 1.7 billion. La Liga teams will not be able to compete with the English Premier League teams. They are increasingly There are more resources. This must change and we must reform the way European football works," Joan Laporta stated on Barca TV channel on December 22.
In the first Super League debut in April 2021, the Premier League contributed six representatives, including Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. After a few days, due to domestic public pressure, these six teams, along with AC Milan, Inter and Atletico, all withdrew. The remaining three teams, Real, Barca and Juventus still support.
According to the original plan, the Super League competed in a round-robin format like the national championships. Clubs will organize their own competitions and have more power, especially the right to distribute profits. This plan is in direct conflict with the UEFA league system.
Last week, an advisory opinion from the European Court of Justice sided with UEFA. However, the final ruling is expected to be made in 2023. "We hope the final verdict will be favorable, in the interest of the clubs and free competition in Europe," Laporta said. expressed optimism. "In the football industry, it is the clubs that make the least money. That cannot continue. Clubs need the power to create and manage their own league."
Laporta also advised UEFA to sit at the negotiating table with the clubs that organize the Super League. If not, he and his associates could find funding from a country outside the EU to host the tournament.
Laporta also ruled out the possibility of Barca buying players in the winter transfer window. According to the President, the leading team in La Liga is very balanced. Buying players is unnecessary and could lead to a violation of financial fair play.
In the summer, Barca had to activate four levers to have money to buy players. However, the initial results were not very good. Due to being behind Bayern and Inter, Barca were eliminated from the Champions League group stage. On February 16 and 23, they will have to play the Europa League play-off round with Man Utd.
From 2020, Barca began to fall into a financial crisis. Falling revenue during the pandemic forced the club to owe salaries and sell players. The restructuring process has also not been as successful as expected. In the 2021-2022 season and this season, Barca were eliminated from the Champions League group stage.
In the interview, Laporta also admitted that there is not much hope in bringing Lionel Messi back to Barca. "I don't want to create expectations about something extremely difficult," Laporta said of the player he pushed away in August 2021.
According to French media, PSG is negotiating an extension with Messi until 2024. If successful, the 2022 World Cup champion will play at Parc des Princes until the age of 37.
PSG are leading Ligue 1 from 2022-2023, with 41 points after 15 games, five points ahead of second-placed Lens. On February 14 and March 8, they will play the 1/8 round of the Champions League with Bayern.
