Bernd Reichart (Scheidegg, Germany, 1974), general director of A22 Sports Management, the organizing company of the Super League, does not expect a Christmas without coverage. Following the resolution of the European Court of Justice that considers that FIFA and UEFA abuse a dominant position, Reichart is on the phone to answer calls from those clubs that want to consult him on any issue. Being able to sell and negotiate his project is the best gift for him. As for the Super League, he is convinced that it will see the light of day sooner rather than later.
Are they calling you a lot these days?
That’s how it is. They call me and I get many messages. The clubs are realizing the magnitude of the resolution. They are studying, reading and interpreting it. It is the beginning of something new where clubs and fans can win a lot. We have always defended that competition between different projects can be beneficial to achieve the best football.
There are many clubs that publicly say that they are not joining the Super League ship… Is it only publicly?
Well yes. Many call me to tell me: “We say no, but here we are.” If you look closely you will see that many statements do not go against the format or the proposal of the Super League. Everyone is free to react and think what they want, but I think that this Christmas football people are going to think and see the enormous opportunity we are offering.
Is UEFA putting pressure on clubs not to publicly support the Super League?
I don’t want to get into that debate. I will only say that we have been talking to clubs from all over Europe for 18 months, adapting our proposal to their situations and seeking to create a more attractive competition where they rule. More and more clubs are approaching us publicly. We do not want to create fronts, we want to convince with a format that is clearly better. But obviously if it is shown that there has been some pressure we will always defend our legitimate rights.
So now it’s time to talk again with all the clubs?
That’s how it is. Now we are free to debate our proposal with all of them without hiding, which is undoubtedly the best. That is the best gift for everyone, also for the fans. We have torn down the monopoly wall.
Manchester City says it is in the process of leaving, the English Government wants to stop the project with a law… What is happening with the Premier League?
We have received many emails and internal messages and we want to take this opportunity to explain it better. As for the Government, its draft bill suggests that you cannot leave the Premier League to compete in another. But we don’t want the domestic leagues to stop playing. Quite the opposite. It’s compatible.
What would you say to Javier Tebas, Ceferin and Infantino if you had them in front of you?
His reaction is the logic to the loss of a monopoly. Personally, I would explain the format well to them again because they keep talking about it being a closed competition without meritocracy. And our format is more open and fairer than the Champions League.
He has two traveling companions. Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, ??who is in favor of reaching an agreement with European organizations, and Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, who wants to do without them. And you?
We have demonstrated our willingness to sit down and talk with any of the parties involved. We have also traveled to Nyon to the UEFA headquarters. And we are open to continuing to do so. But right now with the ruling we do want to focus on convincing the fans and the clubs, explaining our format so that they can decide what is best.
They have announced the creation of Unify, the platform to watch the Super League for free. Free television to watch football seems from another era…
We will do it through advertising. We have not invented anything. But we do have the vision that technology today offers the possibility of watching your favorite sport interacting like never before.
And who puts up the money?
Investors we are talking to because obviously creating a platform like this requires credit. The investment is also to start the competition because in the first cycle we have committed that the income will go to the participants without forgetting the planned amount of solidarity for non-participants.
How are referees managed?
The current management of the referees is one of the things that we have denounced when looking at UEFA. We are committed to an independent entity that ensures that there is a separation of powers in all aspects. This competition will have the best European referees and will be run independently under a system that is on par with the best league in the world.
Will the way to enter the Super League for teams like Girona if they win the League be only through the third division?
Access to the Blue League has yet to be defined. We think it is important that there is balance for all participants.
Now that the monopoly has been broken, do you fear that other countries like Saudi Arabia could organize something similar?
The European Union has mechanisms to protect the market if it considers it appropriate. We pursue the objective of European competitions for European clubs. Humbly, the Super League will present its own to everyone.
So, when do you think the Super League is going to start?
We are not going to speculate on departure dates. We are going to work to make it happen as soon as possible.
