Sándor Csányi: The European Championship is not in danger

“Since the Champions League started, the big clubs have improved their positions year after year. In fact, they would have improved with the new system adopted today as well... However, it seems that this was no longer enough for them," said the UEFA's Hungarian vice-president and CEO of OTP Bank, who inevitably looks at the situation from a financial professional's perspective. "There are several reasons for the withdrawal. On the one hand, the difficult financial situation of some clubs, which have been adrift mainly through the unrealistic salaries of players, and which has further caused by the pandemic. On the other hand, a lot of money has appeared in the market with only a few good investment opportunities, the Super League being one of them. Moreover, money has to work, which is probably why the series would start as early as August this year instead of the original plans for 2022."

According to Sándor Csányi, the success of the new initiative may also depend on the unity of the UEFA and FIFA in the matter, since if no one can play for the African and South American national teams either, it can be a serious deterrent for those who play in the Super League. “The biggest question is whether the clubs in the Super League will be successful, whether they, especially the six Premier League teams, can stay in the national leagues. If they can't stay, it's going to cause damage, and it's not necessarily worth it financially because the same amount of money is in the PL itself as the planned Super League.”

When asked if he thought it was possible that the players from the Super League clubs could be sanctioned at this summer's European Championship, Sándor Csányi said that "The European Championship is not threatened by the current situation, but the World Cup in Qatar may be."

Since JPMorgan finances the Super League, and one of the new league's vice-presidents is also American Joel Glazer, the majority owner of Manchester United, it may not be an exaggeration to talk about the breakthrough of American influence in European top football.

"The newest owners of Europe's top clubs come from different experiences and sports cultures, so they see the possibilities of football very differently," the MLSZ president continued. "At the same time, it is important that the best German and French clubs stay away from the initiative."

To the question whether it was worth for the UEFA to have backed down for decades if this was the end anyways, Sándor Csányi said that perhaps the federation was too afraid of the move that was constantly pending and is now taking place. At at an earlier stage of the debate, though, without the now-available capital to the Super League, it might have been even more difficult for the richest clubs to make threats. At the same time, they would not be able to resist the increasingly bold demands of footballers and their agents even in the new situation.

After Monday's ExCo meeting and official dinner, UEFA's 45^th regular congress begins on Tuesday in Montreux, understandably not in the best mood.

Translated by Vanda Orosz