It was the Franco-German axis, one of the most solid pillars of ancient Europe, which opened the way to a single market, today more in low hours than ever (Brexit through). Now this axis aims to stop what in the eyes of many seems unstoppable, a closed European Super League, made up of the most powerful football clubs on the planet.
A strong statement issued yesterday jointly by UEFA, Premier, Serie A and, believe it or not, LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation (the Super League ended up uniting the almost always so distant Tebas and Rubiales) labeled the future continental competition. But it also threatened the clubs that have already been able to sign their participation in it, including Real Madrid, to prevent them from competing in the Champions League.
The threat even extended to the European players of said signing clubs, because being part of the new Super League, according to the same joint document, would automatically remove the internationals from their respective national teams. And the forcefulness of the aforementioned Franco-German axis against this supposed great threat against the current schemes of European football was highlighted: «We thank the clubs of other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to register. We call on all soccer lovers, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting this project if it is announced. This lingering self-interest of the few has been going on for far too long. It is enough “, related the communiqué.
I ask you, if you consider yourself a soccer fan, if you ever loved or still enjoy this sport, what do you think of the Super League? Because even important political authorities have ended up speaking out in the last hours and, in that fragment, the followers are called upon to mobilize. However, one wonders to what extent, in the midst of this damn pandemic, we are in a position to prioritize this new threat. Faced with what is falling to us, how capable we are to even analyze what is to come in terms of the ball.
Ask Norwegian fans, for example. Because by denouncing injustices or unsupportive behavior with respect to the ball, this European nation has been in the front row announcing its particular boycott of the next World Cup in Qatar and, for now, little support has been found outside its borders. And that the data published by the British newspaper The Guardian resonated very strongly, about the death of more than 6,500 migrant workers on Qatari soil since, just over a decade ago, the celebration in 2022 of the planetary tournament was proclaimed in full desert.
“Respect, on and off the pitch” could be read on the shirts of Norwegian internationals such as Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, when they faced their team against Gibraltar during the last league break. The Norwegian coach himself opted for “putting pressure on FIFA to be even more direct, even firmer, before the Qatari authorities, and to impose stricter demands.”
There is something that does not smell good in this modern football that moves millions of euros for television rights as it never did. The same entities that have moved national competition venues to developing countries in football, guided by the checkbook and the dictation of the highest bidder, have created this monster that they call unsupportive.
And those same institutions are not able to explain to us why they leave Norway alone, yes, since 2000 it has not qualified for a final phase, that its ticket to Qatar 2022 is difficult. But, a question of solidarity or money? A question also applicable to vaccines, dear Europe.
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