Toni Kroos has had an exceptional guest on his podcast, ‘Einfach Mal Luppen’. The Real Madrid footballer has shared almost an hour of conversation with Bernd Reichart, new CEO of the Super League.
Surprising, above all, the opening of a dialogue with UEFA. There have been several attempts in the past… but all have failed to date. This meeting announced by Reichart is not trivial. On December 15, the opinion of the European Court is scheduled to be made public.
Dilogo and invitacin with UEFA
“We have offered a way of dialogue with UEFA and this invitation was accepted. I will be in Nyon next week to talk to UEFA about it. That is also what I understand by dialogue, that the other party is listened to and we can confront ideas. Surely we will not be able to agree on everything. But it is a good sign for the clubs that are perhaps still shy at the moment or even fear sanctions if they engage in dialogue.. UEFA’s commitment that an open dialogue about the future of football should be possible is a positive sign.”
Surely we won’t be able to agree on everything, but it’s a good sign for the clubs that maybe still shy at the moment or even fear sanctions if they engage in dialogue.
diagnosis
“We believe that European football is not fulfilling its potential at the moment. That better matches and better competitions can be offered in Europe. We are concerned about the economic ecosystem of the clubs, which are currently under financial pressure, and we believe that the European club competition should be organized by the clubs themselves, as is done in the national leagues”.
We believe that European football is not fulfilling its potential at the moment. That better matches and better competitions can be offered in Europe
sports meritocracy
“It is clear that sports competition is the same for everyone and must give all clubs the opportunity to live the European dream. In the Super League there are no permanent members, it is not a closed entity.”
In the Super League there are no permanent members, it is not a closed entity
Financial fair play
“We need strong financial fair-play that enforces and punishes infringements. At the moment, there are doubts about this, because UEFA does not punish financial fair-play violations as it should. Since all clubs compete, ultimately instance, by the best players, it is a distortion of competition that clubs with almost unlimited resources can pay these salaries or transfers unlike clubs that belong to its partners such as Real Madrid or Bayern Munich and that are responsible to them”.
It is a distortion of competitiveness that clubs with almost unlimited resources can pay certain salaries or transfers
women’s football
“I believe that European football can give beautiful opportunities in club competition, in visibility, to boost the promotion of women’s football. These are very interesting topics that I want to address in the coming weeks.”
The clubs
“The clubs are the ones that fill football with life. They are the only ones who take risks, who invest: in the players, in the training centers, in the youth academy. They renovate their stadiums… with a large investment. They bear all the risks of football, but they really have no say in their European club competition. The fans are fans of the clubs and not of the associations based in Switzerland. If you ask them who they are fans of, they will tell you a club, or a player.
The clubs are what fill football with life. They are the only ones who take risks, who invest. They bear all the risks of football, but they really have no say in their European club competition.
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“So, I think clubs have the right to reflect on their position in European club competition and to raise their voicesbecause there may be a change in the legal framework”.
Calendar
“I also think that the health of the players is incredibly important: playing more and more games is not an option at all. That’s why we need to talk to the other competitions.”
Playing more and more matches is not an option at all
football is changing
“I think the world is changing and football has to find the balance: defending tradition and being proud of the long history and yet not close your eyes to the new realities to which you have to adapt”.
