ECA, FIFA Oppose European Super League Plans Announced By 12 Top Clubs

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th April, 2021) FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) have both expressed disapproval following the Sunday announcement by twelve top European clubs to create a new breakaway Super League.

"FIFA can only express its disapproval to a 'closed European breakaway league' outside of the international football structures and not respecting the aforementioned principles," FIFA said, adding that it is calling "on all parties involved in heated discussions to engage in calm, constructive and balanced dialogue for the good of the game."

ECA said in a Sunday statement that its executive board was prepared to meet in the coming days to discuss the new developments.

"In light of today's reports on the subject of a so-called breakaway league, ECA as the body representing 246 leading clubs across Europe, reiterates its stated commitment to working on developing the UEFA Club Competitions (UCCs) model with UEFA for the cycle beginning 2024 and that a 'closed super league model' to which media articles refer would be strongly opposed by ECA," the association said.

Earlier on Sunday, twelve top European soccer clubs, including all of the Premier League's "Big Six," announced that they were going to create the "Super League" that would be separate to UEFA's Champions and Europa Leagues.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said in a statement that it was a "cynical project" and that the English (FA), Spanish (RFEF) and Italian (FIGC) associations were all against it.