According to Joan Laporta, the Super League is the only way to prevent state-run clubs from controlling football.
Since the idea was abandoned due to a significant fan backlash, the majority of the clubs involved have distanced themselves from it.
However, through the efforts of their respective presidents, Florentino Perez and Laporta, Real Madrid and Barcelona have continued to support and push for the introduction of such a competition.
Laporta persisted in doing so throughout Barcelona’s General Assembly, asserting that it’s the only way for clubs that aren’t owned by a state to compete with those that are, like Manchester City and PSG.
“The financial situation of football clubs is very worrying,” he said.
“The clubs assume all of the costs and all of the risks. 38 clubs from the Spanish league have had to mortgage their future. Barca did not consider [the Super League] from a financial point of view. We believed we could do things better for the interests of the club.
“European football is suffering in order to attract young people and if you add into that, the state-run clubs, there is an evident destabilisation.
“The previous board tried to compete with the state clubs, something which is impossible to do. These clubs are financially doping with support from outside. That means that clubs like ours have to choose between having stars or suffering economically.
“It is for that reason that we want to support the Super League, a more equal competition that will help confront these problems. The clubs are going to govern their own destiny. It makes me laugh when state clubs say that the teams of the Super League say we are the rich.”
