“We saved football! ” In front of Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea club, in London, supporters cry victory. Their club was not playing on Tuesday, April 20, but fans of the future winner of the Champions League, a month later, are exulting.
Their strong opposition – like that of many political and football personalities – to a European Super League, a concept unveiled two days earlier, forced the Blues to back down. And put on pause this project of a semi-private competition between “big ones of Europe” launched by twelve clubs, and competitor of the Champions League.
While the world of sport continues to adapt to the multiple consequences of the pandemic on its functioning, the year 2021 will have seen part of the small world of the round ball attempt to modify its structures, revealing in the passing of deep heartbreaks. Because in addition to the project of secession of the rich European clubs, Gianni Infantino, the president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), caused tensions when he showed his desire to set up a World Cup every two years ( for men’s and women’s teams), instead of four.
Desire to attract a young audience
As for the supporters of the Super League, who invoked the “Need to generate additional resources for the whole football pyramid”, the arguments pushing the world football body to want to change the system in place are above all economic. According to feasibility studies presented by FIFA, setting up a biennial World Cup would increase revenues by 3.9 billion euros. Something to convince the reluctant, we hope in Zurich, where the federation sits.
For the promoters of these changes, they would, above all, be able to arouse the interest of the younger generations. ” “Young people are no longer interested in football. Why ? Because there are a lot of low level matches “, argued, on April 19, on the Spanish television channel El Chiringuito TV, Florentino Pérez, the president of Real Madrid and the Super League, to justify the attempt at secession. A concern shared by FIFA leaders, even if studies struggle to demonstrate these assertions. “If you don’t want to lose the youth of football, you have to offer them exciting possibilities”, had as his estimated Gianni Infantino, on December 20, during a press conference.
“What people want are high-stakes, easy-to-understand competitions”, asserted Arsène Wenger, director of world football development at FIFA and in charge of the biennial World Cup project, in a newspaper interview The team, September 3.
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