BERLIN – The German Football Association (DFB) on Tuesday demanded the suspension of the 12 clubs that announced the creation of a breakaway European Super League from all competitions until they reconsider.
"The clubs and their youth teams should be banned from all competitions until they think of their many supporters who have made them into top clubs in the world in the first place, and not only of their purses," DFB President Fritz Keller said on the official DFB Twitter account.
Twelve of Europe's top clubs launched the breakaway Super League on Sunday, kicking off what is set to be a bitter battle for control of the game and its revenue with European soccer's governing body UEFA and world soccer's FIFA.
"The selfish behaviour of the 12 clubs has no longer anything to do with the game we fell in love with as children," Keller said.
"Football is open and it is there for everyone. A closed Super League on the other hand is only for the super-rich and the super-ruthless," he added.
No club from Germany has signed up to the initiative that has triggered a furore among fans and the wrath of UEFA.
The renegade clubs – six from the English Premier League plus three each from Spain and Italy – will be guaranteed places in the new competition in contrast to the Champions League, which requires teams to qualify via their domestic leagues.
US investment bank JP Morgan JPM.N is financing the new league, providing a €3.5 billion ($4.2 billion) grant to the founding clubs to spend on infrastructure and recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
Reuters