During a recent interview with Jorge Valdano, Gerard Pique revealed the reason he opposes the European Super League creation.
As the president of a modest club and a Barcelona star, Gerard Pique has a unique opinion about the European Super League. Initially, one would think he supports the position of the club he represents. However, he would betray the club he currently owns. We forget that Pique is the president of a modest club in Andorra. Naturally, his instinct pushes him to root for the little guys as part of the contingent that would die with this new creation.
All the clubs Pique mentioned and the rest have him as a fierce benefactor. Taking a stance against this initiative might tarnish Pique’s relationship with his current club, but he never cared about appearances in the first place. The Catalan defender was always upfront with his way of thinking and this specific topic is no different.
Pique’s take on the Super League.
This is what Pique told Valdano: “I would say it’s not a positive decision for football in the long-term. They’re saying that the domestic leagues are going to stay and remain competitive. But the numbers don’t fit. At the moment, the Champions League is getting €3.5bn in TV revenue and they say the Super League could [eventually] triple revenue for the clubs. If you speak with specialists and experts in TV rights, they will tell you that this change is not possible because the money’s not there for it on the market. So, at first, they say the domestic leagues are going to stay, but the years are going to pass and then the banks and investment funds that have put in their money projecting this revenue are going to [want to see a return].
“And when it doesn’t arrive, the clubs will have to make a decision because there will be losses because it’s not sustainable. And the clubs will decide there will have to be weekend games and they will leave their domestic leagues. And there will be a competition Wednesday-Saturday. That’s how I see it. That it will slowly eat into the domestic leagues’ revenue stream. And that’s how the numbers add up. You’re destroying the whole system to achieve it. Do we want this for football? Is that what we want? That Sevilla, Valencia, Everton, Leicester, Napoli disappear? Because those clubs are going to end up becoming worth nothing. That’s where we are going.”
Gerard’s solution to the issue.
He continued: “I’m not saying the current setup is perfect. It’s clear the model has to change. We have to find the balance for the big teams to coexist with the not-so-big teams. In La Liga and in UEFA, bigger teams should carry more weight somehow.
“Maybe more votes or more revenue. But to break everything, to break the ecosystem… you ruin jobs. There are what, 400 players in each of the top five leagues? Plus Holland, Belgium etc. If you have a 20-team [European Super] League, there won’t be as many people living off football.”
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about FC Barcelona
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
