UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin insists Juventus chief Andrea Agnelli ‘no longer exists to me’ and says their problems are ‘personal’ as the fallout from the European Super League debacle continues
- UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says Andrea Agnelli ‘no longer exists to me’
- Ceferin was livid Juventus’ chairman didn’t tell him about Super League plans
- Juventus are one of three clubs yet to withdraw from the failed project
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has claimed that Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli ‘no longer exists’ to him following his involvement in the failed European Super League plans.
Ceferin had a close friendship with Agnelli and was godfather to one of his children but the pair are no longer on speaking terms.
Juventus, along with Barcelona and Real Madrid, are one of the three clubs yet to withdraw from the controversial Super League out of the 12 that initially signed up.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin (right) says Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli ‘doesn’t exist to me’
Under the plans, the teams involved would have been competing in the Super League as opposed to the Champions League.
Ceferin was left livid by the plans and in particular the fact that Agnelli hadn’t informed him about the Super League before it was announced.
Ceferin was hugely disappointed that Agnelli didn’t tell him about the Super League plans
Ceferin told So Foot: ‘In this case, I can put the protagonists into three categories. I put Andrea Agnelli in the first. That was personal.
‘As far as I am concerned, this man no longer exists to me. I thought that we were friends, but he lied to my face right up until the last minute of the last day, assuring me there was nothing to worry about.
‘The day before, he had already signed the documents for the launch of the Super League.’
Ceferin was also left frustrated with the representatives of the other clubs who signed up, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Inter Milan and AC Milan also having been part of the plans before withdrawing.
Ceferin said: ‘In the second category, I put the leaders who I considered to be quite close to me and I am sad they didn’t tell me in advance what was being planned.
‘In the third and final category, I place those who I did not have privileged contacts with. I don’t blame them, but they too will have to suffer the consequences of their actions.’
Agnelli meanwhile, believes that change is still needed in European competitions.
As reported by PA Sport, he said: ‘For years I have tried to change European competitions from the inside, because the signs of crisis were evident even before the pandemic.
‘The Super League is not a coup, but a desperate cry of alarm for a system that, knowingly or not, is heading towards insolvency.
‘The agreement between the founders was conditional on UEFA’s prior recognition of the competition. The response was deafening, with offensive terms and arrogant methods, and then it turned to three clubs.’
Agnelli is adamant that changes need to be made with regards to European competitions
Agnelli added that Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid want there to be ‘a complete reform’ of European competitions.
He said: ‘It is not with this type of behaviour that football is reformed in the face of this crisis. Fortunately, I know not everyone in UEFA feels the same way. The desire for dialogue, however, remains unchanged.
‘Other sports have faced changes of this type, and almost all stakeholders agree that the model needs to be changed.
‘Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid are determined to achieve a complete reform of the competitions, and above all, in the interest of the clubs that show us fear for this situation.’
