April 27 – AC Milan and Juventus will be thrown out of Serie A if they continue their association with the ill-fated European Super League project after Italian Football Federation (FIGC) approved new legislation.
In the latest twist to the ESL saga, the new rules allow for clubs who sign up to any breakaway competitions to be expelled from competing in the Italian domestic league.
Both clubs were founder members of the renegade breakaway, along with Inter Milan, and have yet to join the rest of the so-called Dirty Dozen in abandoning the project.
Inter released a statement confirming their withdrawal last Wednesday, but their city rivals have so far only apologised to fans for their involvement, while Juve – whose chairman Andrea Agnelli was one of the ESL architects – have said that they are “committed” to the idea, but realise it cannot go ahead as things stand now.
The FIGC has added a new clause to its rules underlining that clubs registering for national leagues must agree they will not join private, unauthorised competitions.
“At the moment we have no news about who has stayed and who is out of the Super League,” said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina.
“If, by the deadline for applications to the national championships on 21 June, someone joins up to competitions of a private nature, they will not take part in our championship.”
The new rule was approved unanimously by the FIGC council, which includes Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Marotta.
“Those who feel they have to participate in competitions not authorized by the FIGC, FIFA or UEFA lose their affiliation,” Gravina added.
Meantime Real Madrid president Florentino Perez continues to insist the idea is not dead.
“We are going to keep working,” he told a Spanish radio station. “We are looking for ways of getting this done. It would be a shame not to get it done.”
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