FIFA and UEFA move to block European Super League idea with World Cup ban threat

Play in a European Super League and you are BANNED from the World Cup: FIFA and UEFA move to block clubs from making a multi-billion pound breakaway by telling players they’ll be barred from international tournaments

  • Plans for a European Premier League involving top club emerged late last year
  • It was claimed the £4.6bn proposal was backed by world governing body FIFA
  • But FIFA and its six confederations have moved to shut down any future plans
  • They have agree any player involved will be banned from World Cup tournament 

FIFA and UEFA have moved to block the formation of any breakaway European Super League by banning any player who takes part from the World Cup and European Championship.

It follows reports late last year that Europe’s elite clubs wanted to reshape the football landscape to create a ‘European Premier League‘ worth a total of £4.6billion to the participants.

It was claimed that FIFA was backing the idea of the breakaway league, which would have included English giants Liverpool and Manchester United.

Manchester United and Liverpool were reportedly involved in plans to set up a European Premier League – but FIFA and UEFA have moved to block any such idea

But now world football’s governing body has distanced itself from any Super League idea and introduced the deterrent that any player involved would be barred from flagship international tournaments.

A statement released jointly by FIFA and its six confederations read: ‘In light of recent media speculation about the creation of a closed European ‘Super League’ by some European clubs, FIFA and the six confederations (AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA) 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.

‘As per the FIFA and confederations statutes, all competitions should be organised or recognised by the relevant body at their respective level, by FIFA at the global level and by the confederations at the continental level. 

‘In this respect, the confederations recognise the FIFA Club World Cup, in its current and new format, as the only worldwide club competition while FIFA recognises the club competitions organised by the confederations as the only club continental competitions.

‘The universal principles of sporting merit, solidarity, promotion and relegation, and subsidiarity are the foundation of the football pyramid that ensures football’s global success and are, as such, enshrined in the FIFA and confederation statutes. 

‘Football has a long and successful history thanks to these principles. Participation in global and continental competitions should always be won on the pitch.’

More to follow.