“Football needs new formulas to make it more competitive,
more exciting, and stronger,” Perez told club members at the annual meeting
held online on Sunday.
Perez also said that the pandemic had cost Real Madrid 106
million euros ($130 million) in lost income, but cost-cutting meant the club
had still managed to make a 313,000-euro profit.
The biggest clubs have long lobbied for European
competitions to be structured in a way that guarantees them a greater share of
the revenue.
“This model needs a new impulse,” he said. “The impact of
Covid-19 strongly demands new changes. Football has to face this new time.”
“Reforming football cannot wait and we have to get down to
it as soon as possible. The biggest clubs in Europe have millions of fans
spread across the world. We have the responsibility to fight for this change,”
he added.
The latest plan for a Super League surfaced through a series
of leaked emails and documents in November 2018 which suggested that many of
Europe’s biggest clubs were working on plans for a 16-team Super League to kick
off as early as 2021.
When Josep Maria Bartomeu stood down as president of Real’s
great rivals Barcelona in October he called for “a future European Super
League” which “would guarantee the financial stability of the club”.
UEFA, the governing body of European football, immediately
reiterated its “strong opposition” to the idea.
In early December, British daily The Times reported that
UEFA was working on a Champions League reform plan that would see all sides in
the competition compete in one league and play 10 different opponents, selected
by a draw.
The format dubbed the “Swiss system” is designed to avoid
meaningless matches in the group stage.
Real’s members approved a budget for this season of 617
million euros, down from the 822.1 million euros last season.
Perez said the club planned to ask executives, players and
coaches to continue the pay cut they agreed last season.
“The management we’ve been carrying out all these years has
allowed us to maintain a very solvent financial position which, in light of
this immense crisis we are living through as a result of the pandemic, has
allowed us to navigate serenely through what is a difficult situation,” Perez
said.
“The reality is that all big football clubs are suffering
this significant financial blow and we’re not immune to it either.”
AFP