Barcelona president Joan Laporta has broken his silence on the ill-fated Super League, revealing he still believes the project is ‘necessary’.
The Catalan giants are one of a handful of clubs who are yet to officially withdraw from the breakaway competition, and despite the widespread condemnation of the idea, Laporta remains insistent that the formation of a Super League is a good idea.
Speaking to TV3, as quoted by Marca, the newly-elected Barcelona chief said: “[A Super League] is absolutely necessary. We are supporters of the national leagues and we will talk to UEFA.
“We have a position of prudence. It is a necessity, but the last word, in the end, will be [from] the members.
“The big clubs contribute a lot and we must participate in the economic distribution.”
One of the biggest criticisms the Super League proposal has faced is that the unconditional participation of the founding members meant those 12 sides would never be participating having earned a place in the competition.
Laporta moved to emphasise the importance of sporting merit despite signing up for something which totally contradicts that. He added: “It should be an attractive competition, based on sporting merits. We are open to an open dialogue with UEFA. I think there will be an understanding.”
Barça president Joan Laporta to TV3: “The #SuperLeague project is still there. We’re open to having a dialogue with UEFA. There has to be an attractive competition based on sporting merits too. I think there will be an agreement…”. ? #FCB
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 22, 2021
The Barcelona president seems confident reform is still a possibility despite the fact all six English clubs involved in its formation withdrew from the breakaway competition within two days of signing up.
Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez has made a number of public appearances since news of the plans broke and continues to defend the idea of a Super League.
Although Laporta claims it is a ‘necessity’, he hasn’t been anywhere near as active when trying to change the public perception of the proposed competition.
