UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has insisted that "football is not for sale" in response to the new proposals which have been submitted for a European Super League.
The European Court of Justice found on Thursday that it would be "unlawful" to ban players from featuring in a breakaway competition, giving A22 Sports, who were behind the original European Super League, the chance to put new plans forward for a breakaway competition.
The financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic led to 12 clubs - Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona - announcing plans to form a new division.
However, as it stands, only Real Madrid and Barcelona have said that they are still interested in the Super League.
The Premier League have released their own statement on the developments, while La Liga president Javier Tebas has insisted that it will not be possible for A22 Sports to create the new competition.
UEFA president Ceferin has now had his say, insisting that the new proposals 'will not be stopped' and joked that their competition would start 'with only two clubs'.
"We will not try to stop them. They can create whatever they want," Ceferin told a press conference on Thursday. "I hope they start their fantastic competition as soon as possible, with two clubs.
"I hope they know what they are doing but I'm not so sure about that. Football is not for sale, we have shown that many times.
"We see the decision as a chance to improve some of the regulations. But football remains united, the evidence you see all of us stakeholders speaking today at the press conference. We have national governments and institutions behind us.
"There is a stark contrast between the ECJ's press summary and the ruling itself. The judgement is actually positive as it embraces the key features of the European football pyramid: open competitions, sporting merit, and solidarity. And you have in this press conference its governing body and all recognised stakeholders."
The new proposal, which is for a league system which would include 64 men's clubs and 32 women's clubs, has also been criticised by Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is the chairman of the European Clubs Association (ECA).
"They see it as a victory but it isn't that at all," he added. "We don't need to threaten or banish anyone. Do your own competition, it is fine. But the best club competition in the world is the Champions League. The brand has existed for years and years. The music in itself is a brand.
"Who's A22? That's my question to you, who is A22? Where do they come from? What is their history?"
The original plans for a European Super League were put forward in April 2021, but the proposed division quickly collapsed due to the fierce reaction from a number of areas, including football fans. body check tags ::
