Long linked to creating a more lucrative competition, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez wants the financial disruption caused to football by the coronavirus pandemic to cause profound changes in current game formats.
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“Nothing will ever be the same again,” Pérez said at an online assembly of Real Madrid club members on Sunday.
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“The pandemic must make us more competitive,” he said, “we must innovate, discover formulas for football to remain attractive. Real Madrid was there at the start of FIFA and the European Cup. Our model now needs a new boost , and the impact of Covid-19 has shown it. “
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Elite clubs, including Madrid, have been pushing for more matches and guaranteed Champions League income from the 2024-25 season, but talks led by UEFA failed to reach a deal last year on through opposition from less wealthy leagues and clubs.
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Pérez also formed, in 2019, the World Association of Soccer Clubs, which has been formulating plans for new competitions of its own. Those proposals only surfaced in reports after Pérez met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
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“Everyone is advocating a reshaping of world football. There is a saturation (of matches) and our fans, which is the most important thing we have, suffers,” said Pérez.
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“Football reform cannot wait. Europe’s biggest clubs have millions of fans around the world. We have a responsibility to fight for this change.”
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Florentino Pérez did not elaborate on what exact changes he would support.
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The pandemic has focused on an economic reality for top-tier league clubs: millions of fans sitting on sofas and bars watching games on television outnumber the thousands of staunch supporters who have mostly been unable to attend the games. .
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The trend in world football has also been to increase the number of matches and competitions, both for clubs and national teams, such as the Uefa Nations League. There is talk of adding more Champions League matches for the elite clubs in Europe.
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Pérez said the impact of the pandemic, which has kept fans out of stadiums in Spain since March, has reduced the Spanish champion’s income from £ 755 million to £ 657 million.
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“The reality is that all the big football clubs are suffering this major financial blow and we are not immune from it either,” he said.
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Madrid is currently renovating its Santiago Bernabéu stadium and playing matches in a much smaller stadium at its training site.
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