Ex-Lazio President Cragnotti: “I’m in Favour of the Super League, It’s the Future”

Former Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti revealed that the idea of a Super League has been thought about since the late 1990’s.

Speaking in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Messaggero (via Calciomercato.com) earlier today, the 81-year-old Italian commented on the initial proposal of the Super League.

The Super League was an idea that had already been proposed in the 1998/99 season. The input always came from the Spanish clubs and it closely resembles the one that has been proposed now.

But there was nothing so definitive in the details, there were no investment funds or backers. The basic idea was to exploit the TV rights.

There was a repeated exchange of letters with the Spaniards, but in the end, so as not to kill off the national leagues, the project did not go ahead.

He spoke a little more about the old project.

20 teams? No. Many more were planned. Just think that in Italy there were six teams. Even Lazio. And it didn’t just stop at Europe, but in the vision of those who designed it there was a desire to involve South American clubs as well.

I was in favour of it and I still am. And I think it is very difficult for FIFA and UEFA to interrupt a process that has already started.

The former Biancocelesti president then analyzed the Super League.

I think this will be the future of football. I see the decline of the national teams, only the club teams will be able to give prestige and it is not by chance that all these foreign owners have arrived in Italy.

Bringing the Champions League to 36 teams takes away money and power, the split also stems from here.

Finally, Cragnotti discussed if everything will begin from next year onwards.

We need time and an independent body to manage everything. For now, I think it’s a push to shake things up and make the Champions League more qualified and have more money.


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Tags Biancocelesti Cragnotti esl Italy Lazio Sergio Cragnotti Serie A Super League