BARCELONA have released a bizarre statement saying they joined the European Super for ‘financial sustainability’ – despite spending almost £1BILLION on transfers in the last five seasons.
The world of football was left stunned when 12 European clubs signed up for the doomed competition.
But 48 hours later it was in tatters.
The Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ of the two Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool pulled out first.
The owners of all six then released statements apologising for their actions.
AC Milan, Inter, Juventus and Atletico Madrid followed suit with just ringleaders Real Madrid and Barca left.
The Super League shambles was condemned globally with fans joined by football execs and even politicians such as Boris Johnson and royalty in Prince William.
Barcelona have since published a statement attempting to explain why they signed up in the first place.
They state that ‘there is a need for structural reforms to guarantee the financial sustainability and feasibility of world football’.
Spanish football finances have been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, with many players at the top clubs agreeing to salary cuts and giving up bonuses.
But Barcelona’s whopping £937.22m spend over the course of the last five season was only influenced by themselves.
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In the 2017/18 season the Catalans paid out £121.5m to Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund for Phillipe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele respectively.
And it’s well-documented how those transfers have failed to work out.
Barca parted with £108m for Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in the hope that they had finally found Neymar’s replacement. They are still looking.
They go on to add that ‘it would have been a historical error to turn down the opportunity to be part of this project as one of its founding members’.
Bizarrely there are numerous references to how it would ‘benefit’ fans – despite the uproar the project created with supporters around Europe.
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The statement continues: “Barcelona shall act at all times with due prudence and asks for the utmost understanding, respect and most of all patience among FC Barcelona supporters and public opinion in general.”
The tone of the statement seems to suggest that for Barcelona, the creation of a European Super League is not a dead duck.
And their LaLiga compatriots Real Madrid and controversial chairman Florentino Perez are refusing to go quietly – as the defector clubs gear up for what could prove a costly legal battle.
SunSport has exclusively revealed that plans are in place for Celtic and Rangers to join an 18-team British top-flight after the European Super League crumbled.
And unlike the Super League shambles which was condemned globally, it’s likely an enlarged Premier League including the Old Firm would be BACKED by Fifa, Uefa and the UK Government.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
