Real Madrid President renews calls for Super League
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez believes that soccer is losing ground as the world’s most popular sport and that a resurrected European Super League could boost its status.
“To fix a problem, you have to first recognize that you have a problem,” Perez said. “Our sport is sick. It’s losing its leadership as a global sport.”
Real Madrid — the most valuable soccer team in the world at $5.1 billion, per Forbes is one of 12 top-flight soccer clubs that announced plans in April 2021 to create the Super League.
It was met with public outcry, leading most clubs to distance themselves from the venture.
Real Madrid joins Barcelona and Juventus as clubs still in favor of the breakaway league as Perez believes it’ll offer fans “top-level games year-round between the strongest teams.”
The Super League — established under Spanish law — is seeking approval by the European Court of Justice to continue with its plan, which is hampered by a Spanish ruling.
In April, a Spanish court ruled that UEFA and FIFA could sanction Barcelona, Juventus, and Real Madrid if they followed through with their plans to join.
Real Madrid reported a profit of $13.2 million for the 2021-22 season, marking the third straight year the club has avoided losses amid the pandemic.
The club posted the results for a season in which it won a record-extending 14th UEFA Champions League trophy and 35th La Liga Championship.
