Juventus denies the Superlega (and Agnelli a little too)

Of course, we are still in the field of hypotheses and something more will be needed for definitive judgments. Or at least “a period of discussion”. But the impression is that the direction has been decided: the Superlega project, in Turin, will soon be archived. As if to say: a step back to move forward, renouncing one of the heaviest legacies of the previous Agnelli management. The indiscretion arrived yesterday afternoon from Spain, effectively forcing – a few hours later – Juventus to publish a skimpy press release in which it “informs that it has sent a communication to the other two clubs that have not exercised their withdrawal from the Superlega Project (Barcelona and Real Madrid) in order to start a period of discussion between the three clubs concerning the possible exit of Juventus from the Superlega Project”.

There is no trace of the reasons, no explanation for the moment. Only an attempt to deny what are defined as “reconstructions by the press”, regarding “alleged threats of possible sanctions by UEFA”. And there would be no reason to have doubts, were it not for the fact that on several occasions the president of UEFA Aleksander Ceferin – and not only him – has publicly exposed himself against the Turin club. Just as in the last few weeks, for example, the Gazzetta dello Sport has given ample space to Nyon’s diktats against the splitting clubs. The feeling is that once again it is a football affair in which politics and diplomacy are grafted, and then justice, also considering that a dispute is underway between A22 – the company that manages the Super League project – and UEFA itself . The “split” clubs accuse the European Football Organization of operating in a sort of illegal monopoly regime, violating competition rules: the European Court of Justice should rule by the summer, or shortly after at the latest.

The Spanish media also report that A22 did not welcome the black and white reverse, also because – the Iberian newspapers always say – in possession of material capable of proving the pressure from UEFA. But these are all reconstructions to be verified. While it is more probable that in Madrid, using his weight, the president Florentino Perez will try to change the mind of the managers of Juventus. The Lady’s press release leaves a space open, albeit minimal. But it should also be remembered that the one on the Super League is not the only match being played on the Turin-Nyon axis: after the capital gains penalty and the plea deal in Italy, UEFA will evaluate whether to intervene also in relation to the settlement agreement on Financial Fair Play, which may have been violated, as the Italian sentences would demonstrate. All situations that to some extent are entrusted to the arbitrariness of the decision-maker and the possibility that Juventus is excluded from the European cups exists.

In this context, therefore, Juventus evaluates the step backwards, renouncing themselves a bit to get rid of another ballast from the previous management. The sensation, also in the light of the recent agreement with the Italian sports prosecutor’s office, is that the new Elkan-Ferrero race, waiting to concretely plan the next moves, wants to untie itself from any previous task. And then there is a political-family sense, so to speak, in this move. It directly concerns Andrea Agnelli: “The monopoly position and the power of UEFA must be broken to give the clubs a financially stable future,” said the former president in one of his latest public statements, after his resignation. Yesterday’s choice, as is clear, goes in the opposite direction and marks a further furrow. On the other hand, in December the advocate general of the European Court Athanasios Rantos, expressing himself with a non-binding opinion, explained how the position of FIFA and UEFA was compatible with the competition law of the European Union. Words that many have read as a signal of what the outcome of the European dispute could be. Who knows if they haven’t thought of it in Turin too, especially today when revenues are necessarily lower and the budgets are in shambles. A framework in which UEFA’s resources could be indispensable.