Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insists the European Super League is ‘more necessary than ever’ and slams UEFA’s Champions League reforms as an ‘absurd project’

Florentino Perez has insisted the European Super League is ‘more necessary than ever’ as the Real Madrid president launched a scathing attack on UEFA and La Liga chiefs.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are the sole survivors of the Super League project launched in 2021, with 12 founder clubs having initially signed up with the majority withdrawing after fan protests.

Speaking at Real Madrid annual general meeting Perez, who would have served as chairman of the Super League, insists the competition is required in response to an ‘unprecedented institutional crisis’.    

‘The situation is very serious, either we react now or football will not survive,’ Perez said, as reported by Marca.

‘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 LaLiga. 

The Super League collapsed in 2021 but Real Madrid are continuing to push for the project

The European Super League project – which originally included 12 teams including England’s Big Six – dropped down to just Real Madrid and Barcelona after fellow founders backed out

‘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.’

Perez’s comments come ahead of the European Court of Justice delivering its final verdict on the validity of the European Super League on December 21.

The court will rule on whether or not UEFA and FIFA acted lawfully in blocking the creation of the Super League in April 2021, and in seeking to sanction the clubs involved.

The ruling is a binding interpretation of European Union law, and once handed down the case will then be referred back to the Madrid commercial court that will apply it to the facts of the Super League case.

The Advocate General’s opinion in on case was issued last year, which said the bodies’ rules allowing them to block new competitions wishing to operate under their auspices were compatible with EU law.

Real Madrid are adamant that no one has actually left the Super League company set-up prior to the launch.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin slammed Super League backers as being ‘selfish’ and ‘greedy’ earlier this year, comparing them to the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood at the governing body’s congress.

His comments were supported by LaLiga president Javier Tebas.

Perez rounded on UEFA, La Liga and Barcelona during Real Madrid’s annual general meeting

Perez blasted UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin’s reforms of the Champions League

The Real Madrid president claimed LaLiga, run by Javier Tebas, are attacking the club’s assets

Perez hit back by slamming UEFA’s reforms of the Champions League which will see a ‘Swiss League’ adopted from the 2024-25 edition.

‘The new UEFA format is an unusual and absurd project. This model will further alienate fans of our sport and especially the youngest ones,’ Perez said.

‘The needs of players, fans and footballers are not taken into account. They are putting an end to European football, they are not innovating.

‘Real Madrid has a responsibility with European football. For Madrid everything would be easier if we did not lead this project that is so uncomfortable, but dear partners, history demands it of us.’

Perez demanded further rules for Financial Fair Play, with the Real Madrid president insisting some clubs were failing to comply with the rules without consequences.

He also accused LaLiga of ‘attacking the club’s assets’ and criticised the league for a ‘lack of transparency’.

Tebas responded on social media, claiming Perez was telling ‘very serious lies about LaLiga’.

‘He lies about the increase in the president’s salary, no increase, he lies about the transparency of Laliga, he lies about the expropriation of TV rights,’ Tebas wrote.

Perez said the ongoing Negreira case involving Barcelona was damaging for Spanish football

Perez also commented on the ‘Negreira case’ involving rivals Barcelona, labelling it has ‘enormously seriousness and damaging the image of Spanish football’.

Barcelona were found to have paid Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira the sum of €7.3 million (£6.3m) from 2001 to 2018. Negreira was vice-president of the refereeing committee at the time with influence over which referees were promoted to officiate top games and which were demoted.

The Catalan side have been placed under formal investigation for suspected ‘active bribery’ with president Joan Laporta as one of the suspects involved.

Laporta denied wrongdoing last month and insists the case will find in Barcelona’s favour.