Javier Tebas, the president of the Spanish La Liga, does not believe in free broadcasting for the hypothetical European Super League.
Following an order from the European Court of Justice deeming it “unlawful” for FIFA and UEFA to ban players from participating in a third-party competition, A22, the promoter of the Super League, has presented a new proposal which would include three levels with promotion and relegation. Most importantly, Bernd Reichart, CEO of A22, claimed that all matches in the competition would be broadcast for free.
Tebas bets 1000 dinners that the Super League will not be free
While Barcelona and Real Madrid continue to support the Super League, Tebas insisted he was calm and reiterated that any attempt to create a new competition would be rejected.
Speaking to reporters, Tebas said: “The miracle of the loaves and fishes was done by Jesus Christ, not by Bernd Reichart (CEO of A22). There will be no Super League in the short, medium or long term. Legally, this is not possible. Economically, this is unsustainable. Free football is impossible, it would be an economic failure. We cannot fool people by telling them that football will be free. I bet 100 dinners we won’t see him in years to come. And a thousand dinners it won’t be free.”
Tebas went further and made fun of Reichart by calling him a drunk. He also indicated that the very foundations of the Super League are contrary to what is mentioned in the FIFA and UEFA charter.
He wrote on X: “To be clear, there is no doubt and some people are wrong by going to reopen the bar to drink cubas until 5 a.m. as Bern Reichart CEO seems to have been this evening. The CJEU says that the rules for admitting FIFA and UEFA competitions are transparent, but not that they must admit the Super League. On the contrary, it recalls that the criteria for admission to competitions must be transparent, objective and non-discriminatory. These principles are precisely incompatible with the Super League.”
