The European Superleague has faded into the background of the football’s current topics, but three of the world’s biggest sides continue to be linked to it.
Their refusal to let go of the idea has become a source of comedy for some, yet Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus clearly have their reasons for hanging on.
Asked about the issue in a recent interview with OMS, Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos was typically honest. Marca carried his answer.
“Never contradict your own President,” he began laughing.
“It is obvious that the idea existed and still exists. It should have been in place a long time ago, I think it will take a while to put it into place and I probably won’t see it as an active player. My opinion is that I continue to believe it will happen, but I cannot say when.”
Many believed the Superleague to have been defeated but there is still one key dynamic in its favour, the major European clubs are keen to control the money rather than UEFA.
However where perhaps there was a more of a motive for Premier League clubs to join a Superleague, the widening gap between them and the rest of Europe financially may make it a less interesting prospect. In addition, the change in format in the Champions League next year brings it closer to what a Superleague would have looked like.