European Super League project still alive, says FC Barcelona President

FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta insisted on Sunday that the controversial European Super League project "is still alive".

Joan Laporta told the FC Barcelona's members about the European Super League project and presented a thorough review of the background, the evolution of the process and the current situation of a competition that was initially promoted by a group of 12 European clubs and that is currently "alive, but not mature enough to leave it in your hands", so it was not possible to submit the item to a vote in the assembly.

"The economic conditions are very favourable, because the sporting and economic programme behind the Superleague includes an investment of 3.5 billion euros and "guarantees us more than 700 million euros per season plus variables," Laporta told the club's members, an official statement by Barcelona revealed.

After the 12 initial founder clubs of the competition announced their intentions, there were reactions from the world of football and also from the political world against the project. These pressures caused 9 of the 12 to "temporarily leave" the project "with the financial responsibilities that are derived from doing so", a penalty of 350 million euros from which Barca is exempt, as Laporta decided that the club would only pull out if its members voted against participation.

Laporta also said that the project provides for meritocracy and solidarity. "We want to help the whole football pyramid. UEFA's solidarity provides for the distribution of 180 million to be distributed among 55 federations, and the Super League project allocates 400 million to a solidarity fund.