Ceferin confirms UEFA's position on the Super League and Villarreal-Barça in Miami: What did he say?

UEFA is not giving up its position regarding the issue of the European Super League and the possibility of playing official first division matches outside their country of origin. In an official interview for the European Union, Aleksander Ceferin spoke about a possible ongoing negotiation with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid to make new changes to the UEFA Champions League format.

"We communicate, not me personally, but we communicate with both clubs in Spain. I also had a meeting with Joan Laporta; everything is fine, but that is not a negotiation," the UEFA president began by saying. Weeks ago, the president of Barça assured that an agreement between the Super League and the highest body of European football was about to fall.

Ceferin is clear: the Champions League will not be a Super League

However, Ceferin is not willing to implement more changes to the Champions League format to get closer to what Barça and Madrid propose with the Super League. UEFA's position, on the contrary, is to invite culés and 'merengues' to collaborate with the continental entity.

"The system or the new format will not change, that is clear. Both clubs will always be welcome in the European football family, where they have always belonged," he said regarding the Champions League issue.

Similarly, he did not hesitate to rule out a new approach with Laporta and Florentino Pérez to renegotiate the creation of a Super League. "If UEFA were negotiating with them, then the president of UEFA would know. And without me knowing, it makes no sense. So that's not true," he said.

UEFA insists on prohibiting League matches abroad

On the other hand, Aleksander Ceferin reiterated his rejection of the match scheduled by LaLiga EA Sports on December 20 in Miami between Villarreal and FC Barcelona. The UEFA Executive Committee will address the issue at its next meeting (September 11), but its president is clear about the initial position.

"We are not happy, but, as much as we have checked it legally, we do not have much room here if the federations agree." Certainly, if each country decides to approve the dispute of league matches outside its country and FIFA gives the green light, UEFA would not have interference in this regard.

In that sense, he added: "I think that in the future we will have to discuss this very seriously, because football must be played in Europe. Fans should see football at home, they cannot travel to Australia or the United States to see their teams."

In addition to the Villarreal-Barça in Miami, Serie A plans to play an AC Milan-Como 1907 in Australia. The match would be played in early February, although, unlike LaLiga, there is still no definitive consensus between both teams.

Culés and Castellón, on the other hand, agree with an initiative that can change the football ecosystem forever. Javier Tebas, for more than five years, has tried to take matches of the Spanish First Division to American soil.