It’s only money.
The governing body of global soccer, FIFA, is irate and has issued a threat. If big brand teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and others form a European super soccer league without FIFA’s approval, any player who performs for those teams would be banned from playing in FIFA’s crown jewel event, the World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino issued his warning after reports from the German publication Der Spiegel surfaced that plans were in the works to form the super league by 2021. According to Der Spiegel, there would be 11 permanent clubs and another five would be invited for a 16 team league. There would be a 20 year commitment from the 11 teams to build the league. According to the report, various teams are looking into ways of breaking away from their present commitments.
Infantino is trying to rein in the 11 big brand teams and while he cannot stop the team owners, he can go after the players. “Either you are in or you are out. This includes everything,” Infantino said. “If there are players who don’t play in organized football, they don’t play organized football, and that encompasses everything – national leagues, confederation competitions, the Euros and the World Cup.” Infantino does not view a new football or soccer league as organized football. The new association would be a renegade league. But FIFA’s legal director has thrown some cold water on the notion that Infantino can sanction players. “The idea is if you break away, you break away. You don’t keep one foot in and one foot out,” said Alasdair Bell. “That would be the general approach we would follow, but of course lawyers can debate this for a long time.” FIFA is protecting its turf. It has said no to Spain’s La Liga playing a league game in Miami in January. FIFA wants to be the boss.
