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sports Dialuna 19 aPRil 2021

European soccer split: elite clubs threaten breakaway league

(AP) — A group of elite clubs “We will consider all measures avail-
split European soccer on Sunday able to us, at all levels, both judicial
with plans to walk away from the and sporting in order to prevent this
Champions League to create a happening. Football is based on open
breakaway competition, drawing competitions and sporting merit; it
an angry response and the threat cannot be any other way,” the state-
of legal action from UEFA. ment said. "As previously announced
by FIFA and the six Federations, the
The moves to walk away from the ex- clubs concerned will be banned from
isting structures in an apparent grab playing in any other competition at
for more money and power includes domestic, European or world level,
Real Madrid, Barcelona, the Ameri- and their players could be denied the
can owners of Liverpool and Man- opportunity to represent their na-
chester United, Juventus and AC tional teams."
Milan. No German or French clubs
have signed up. While FIFA issued a statement in
January warning players in a Super
The Super League plans, which were League could be banned from the
first leaked in January, have escalated World Cup, the world governing
into a greater threat to implement body has not denied that its president,
them on the eve of UEFA's planned Gianni Infantino, has been involved
announcement of a new format for in the breakaway talks with officials,
the Champions League. While the including Real Madrid president Flo-
long-standing existing competition rentino Perez.
that grew from the European Cup
would increase to 36 teams and add Despite Agnelli’s role with the ECA
more games as desired by the wealth- and at the heart of UEFA with a posi- “The Premier League is proud to run four from each group advancing to
iest clubs, they remained frustrated tion on its executive committee, Ju- a competitive and compelling football the quarterfinals. That would guar-
that UEFA would not grant more ventus is said to be one of the teams competition that has made it the most antee every team 18 annual Super
control of the sale of television and involved in the Super League along widely watched league in the world. League matches, compared to a mini-
commercial rights. with AC Milan. Both Juventus and Our success has enabled us to make mum of ten games in the planned
Milan declined to comment. an unrivalled financial contribution new-look Champions League group
Still, the European Club Association’s to the domestic football pyramid.” stage.
board, which is led by Juventus chair- Manchester clubs City and United,
man Andrea Agnelli, and the UEFA Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tot- The creation of a 20-team annual The games — apart from the final —
clubs’ competitions committee on tenham are also part of the Super competition would include 15 top would be played in midweek like the
Friday had signed up to expanding League, which the Premier League clubs as permanent members based current Champions League, allowing
the Champions League from 2024 said would “undermine the appeal of on plans seen in January by the AP. them to still play in domestic compe-
ahead of ratification by the UEFA ex- the whole game” of football. The five other teams would vary each titions.
ecutive committee on Monday. season, although the qualification
“The Premier League condemns any method has not been determined. This latest Super League proposal
Now UEFA has announced it has proposal that attacks the principles of hopes to generate 4 billion euros
“learned that a few English, Spanish open competition and sporting merit Each of the 15 founding members ($4.86 billion) annually from broad-
and Italian clubs may be planning to which are at the heart of the domestic would get a share of at least 3.5 billion casters. In comparison, UEFA most
announce their creation of a closed, and European football pyramid,” it euros ($4.2 billion) in initial infra- recently reported making a combined
so-called Super League.” The plan said in a statement. “Fans of any club structure grants. The money would 3.25 billion euros from selling the
was called a “cynical project, a proj- in England and across Europe can be split among four tiers of clubs, rights to the Champions League, Eu-
ect that is founded on the self-interest currently dream that their team may with the top six each getting 350 mil- ropa League and UEFA Super Cup.
of a few clubs” in a statement from climb to the top and play against the lion euros ($420 million). The 15 founding clubs of the new
UEFA jointly with the leagues and best. We believe that the concept of competition would take the greatest
national governing bodies from Eng- a European Super League would de- The competition would begin with slice of the broadcasting revenue.
land, Spain and Italy. stroy this dream. two groups of 10 teams, with the top

Quartararo wins Portuguese GP; Márquez 7th in 1st race back

(AP) — Fabio Quartar- Marc Márquez finishing Francesco Bagnaia and de- lap, but he made contact with Oliveira crashed early in the
aro won the Portuguese seventh in his first race in fending MotoGP champion another rider on the second race, while Álex Rins fell later
Grand Prix from pole po- ninth months. Joan Mir. The Frenchman lap and eventually dropped when he was near the front.
sition on Sunday, with six- moved into the champion- to ninth place. He kept a Veteran Valentino Rossi also
time MotoGP champion Quartararo finished ahead of ship lead with the victory at decent pace but could only crashed to add to his strug-
the Algarve circuit. Quartara- make up a few positions, fin- gles at the start of the season,
ro's celebration after the race ishing just ahead of brother while Johann Zarco — the
included what appeared to Álex Márquez and received championship leader coming
be an imitation of Cristiano a round of applause from the into the Portuguese GP —
Ronaldo's goal celebration. members of his team after went down with six laps to go
the race. while fighting at the top.
Márquez had a lackluster race
in his return after breaking Quartararo lost ground early Zarco had finished second
his right arm at the Spanish on but was back in front by in the first two races of the
GP last summer. He missed the halfway point of the race season, both in Qatar. Mav-
the rest of last season and the in southern Portugal, holding erick Viñales won the season-
first two races this year. on for his fifth MotoGP win. opener.
He was coming off a win in
The Spaniard jumped to Qatar two weeks ago. It was the third straight win
fourth at the start and was as for Yamaha this season.
high as third during the first Jack Miller and Miguel