Fifa slam Super League plans, threatening World Cup ban

The presidents of Fifa and Uefa, Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin, have issued a joint statement rejecting any plans of a move towards a European Super League, threatening clubs and players with expulsion from their international and continental competitions should they join any breakaway league.

Backed by all six of their confederations across world football, the statement reads, “In light of recent media speculation about the creation of a closed European ‘Super League’ by some European clubs, Fifa and the six confederations once again would like to reiterate and strongly emphasise that such a competition would not be recognised by either Fifa or the respective confederation.

“Any club or player involved in such a competition would as a consequence not be allowed to participate in any competition organised by Fifa or their respective confederation.”

This would include competitions such as the World Cup, European Championships and Champions League, and is seen as a robust shutdown of emerging plans for Europe’s elite clubs to form a breakaway league.

Last year, Manchester United and Liverpool garnered huge criticism as it emerged they had signed up to a ‘European Premier League’ with multiple reports stating that banking giants JP Morgan had agreed to finance a £4.6 billion breakaway league for as early as 2022.

Barcelona’s outgoing president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, also backed up the plans, stating in his departing speech that Barcelona had “accepted a proposal to participate in a future European Super League”.

Previous reports suggested that Fifa were open to the format as a change to their current Club World Cup, but today’s news quashes any thoughts that the sport’s governing bodies condone the idea.