World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

FIFAwantsSuperLeagues– startinginAfrica

DidyoureallythinktheSuperLeague

projectwasdeadandburied?Think

again.It’sbouncingback. Notin

Europebut,instead,ona roundabout

route viaAfrica.Thisversion also

boaststhefull-hearted,public

supportof FIFA anditspresident,

GianniInfantino.

Infantinoknowsallaboutthe

gold-encrustedvalueofhigh-profile

internationalclubcompetition.

Hewas,for sevenyears,general

secretaryof UEFA.Thatprovidedhim

witheye-poppingevidenceofthe

multi-millionbidsbybroadcasters

andsponsorsfor a sliceof

ChampionsLeagueaction.

NosurprisethenthatInfantino,

onliftingthe reinsofpowerfiveyears

ago,was baffledbythe clubchasm

inFIFA’sscheduleof 15 international

competitions.Anunspokendealhad

leftclubgamestotheconfederations

whileFIFA focusedonnationalteams.

FIFA’s only incursionwas thedeeply

unattractive,unthreateningClub

World Cup.

Butthatwas yesterday.

Fortomorrow,Infantinohashis

acquisitiveeyeson newclubriches.

Florentino Perezrecognisedthis.

ButtheCOVID- 1 9-engenderedcash

crisisprovokedhisRealMadrid, plus

JuventusandBarcelona,tojump

thegun.Theircrucialblunderwas

tolaunchtheirSuperLeaguewithout

havingFIFAformallyonboard.That

leftthemuptheUEFAcreekwithout

a financialpaddle.

Infantino’s initialprojecthadbeen

expansionoftheClubWorldCup into

a 24-teamclose-seasontournament

every twoyears.Thiswas to have

beenlaunchedthispast summerin

China.But problemsfindingacash

backerandthenthe pandemickicked

itinto thelonggrass.Higherup

Infantino’s projectnow is the

contentiousideaofa World

Cupeverytwoyears.

NotthatFIFAhas discardedits

clubgameambitions.Proofisthe

dreamofa worldwideSuperLeague,

withAfricaasthedeclaredtestbed.

InfantinoputSuperLeagues

squarelyontheagendawhenhe

addressedFIFA Congressearlierthis

year. He tolddelegatesfromall 2 11

nationalassociations:“Wealways

havetothinkaboutthe fansandall

thecountriesinthe worldandabout

theplayers.Wewanttohave 50 top

nationalteamsand 50 top clubs

worldwide.Women andmenalike.

“Thecore principlesofsolidarity

andequalopportunityarethepillars

onwhichoursport is built. The

existingmodelisnotperfect.Thereis

a concentrationofmoney andplayer

talent[inEurope],whichdoesnot

servethegame’sglobalinterests.We

cannotignore that.Isfootballreally

global?Theanswerisno...outofthe

THEWORLD THISMONTH

THEINSIDER

top 3 0 clubsin termsofrevenues

there is notonecluboutsideEurope.”

Theanswer?SuperLeaguesof

course.Startingnotwith Europe–

thatwould be politicaldynamitenow

• butAfrica.Why?Simple.Thisisthe
  onecontinent over whichFIFAwields
  almostabsolutecontrol.
  Twoyearsago,FIFA–atthe
  engineeredrequestof favour-seeking
  CAFdirectors– sentin secretary-
  generalFatmaSamourato sort out
  itsadministrationandopaquemedia
  rights.ThispastspringSamoura’s
  house-cleaningwas dulyfollowedby
  theelectionofInfantino’s choiceas
  newCAFpresident.PatriceMotsepe
  isoneofAfrica’srichest businessmen
  andthe first CAFpresidentfrom
  southern Africa.Nosecretabout
  wherehisloyaltieslie.
  Motsepehasprovedthe point.He
  hasrevealed himselfanenthusiastic
  supporter fortheconceptof a World
  Cupeverytwoyears(likeArsene
  Wenger, nowinFIFA’s employ as
  developmentdirector)and for
  a continentalSuper League.
  FIFACongress,toInfantino’s
  satisfaction,voted fora feasibilitystudy
  fora biennialWorldCup.Motsepe
  wasacheerleaderofthis“excellent
  resolution.” As he said:“Takinginto

Africansuperclub...

AlAhlyofEgypt

wouldbecentral

toanAfrican

SuperLeague

“Wehavetotakethe 20 bestclubsinAfricaand

havethemplayinanAfricanleague...Iwantto

liftAfricanfootballtothetopoftheworld”

FIFApresidentGianniInfantino,speakingin 2019

Keir

RADNEDGE