“Talking about ESL with UCL trophies behind” – PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi aims a WITTY SWIPE at his counterpart and Real Madrid President Florentino Perez

Al-Khelaifi and Perez are not coming to mutual understanding anytime soon.

“Talking about ESL with UCL trophies behind” – PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi aims a WITTY SWIPE at his counterpart and Real Madrid President Florentino Perez

Florentino Perez and Nasser Al-Khelaifi. (Screengrab from Real Madrid's Instagram video/ Screengrab from X)

With the European Court of Justice’s ruling putting FIFA and UEFA in the wrong, the European Super League has been handed a significant boost. Real Madrid President Florentino Perez was among the few who voraciously advocated for a Super League. Perez however, was censured by Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi. The Qatari businessman said that a club like Real Madrid that have enjoyed so much success in the Champions League, should not be pushing for a European Super League.

The European Court of Justice historically put FIFA and UEFA in the wrong. The Court ruled that the organizations acted illegally and abused their dominant power. FIFA and UEFA were ‘wrong’ to sanction the clubs who were planning to begin a ‘breakaway’ competition, as per the Court. However, the Court also iterated that the ruling does not necessarily approve a European Super League.

YouTube video

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez published a video on Twitter commenting on the court ruling.

FS Video
This day will mark a before and after. It will change the history of the sport.
Florentino Perez on ESL

However, Nasser Al Khelaifi responded to the same. He mocked Perez’s choice of background to shoot the aforementioned video. PSG President said, 

It's strange to talk about the Super League with all the UEFA Champions League trophies behind you.

Real Madrid are the most successful club in the competition, winning it a record 14 times.

European Super League – What’s in it for Real Madrid?

The European Super League was first proposed in 2021 by founding clubs Real Madrid alongside FC Barcelona. Even though a majority of the ‘founding’ clubs have pulled off from the project, the Spanish giants have stayed put. Florentino Perez has been a vocal supporter of the competition, and reports from Spain reveal just why the Los Blancos are staying put in the project.

A22 CEO Bernd Reichart alongside Florentino Perez and Joan Laporta
A22 CEO Bernd Reichart alongside Florentino Perez and Joan Laporta. (Image via Marca)

It is understood that a whopping ‘loyalty bonus’ of close to €1 billion awaits both Real Madrid and Barcelona. As per the newspaper Sport, both Barcà and Real will pocket £870 million if the project indeed takes shape. On the flip side, other founding clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United may face a €300 million fine for pulling away from the project.

Money-wise, the tournament is set to disrupt all other forms of club competition in Europe. Starting from the Premier League to the UCL, A22 announced that all matches in the Super League will be free to watch. A22 CEO Bernd Reichart announced that there will be income and solidarity payments. Subsequently, A22 have also released further information detailing the format, number of matches, and other guidelines of the competition.

In case you missed: