The Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, has accused Europe’s top leagues of attempting to “blackmail” the governing body and told leading clubs he would never allow the creation of a European super league.
Speaking at Uefa’s congress in Helsinki, Ceferin, who replaced the disgraced Michel Platini last year, accused “some leagues” of trying to hold Uefa to ransom and “some clubs” of agitating for a closed super league.
“To some clubs, I shall say it calmly and dispassionately, but firmly and resolutely: there will be no closed league. Quite simply, that is not in line with our values and ideals,” he told Uefa’s 55 members.
“We will never give in to the blackmail of those who think they can manipulate small leagues or impose their will on the associations because they think they are all powerful on account of the astronomical revenues they generate.”
Ceferin, who came from nowhere to become the surprise choice to lead Uefa in the wake of the meltdown that followed corruption allegations at Fifa, added: “Quite simply, money does not rule and the football pyramid must and will be respected.”
The Football Association of Ireland chief executive, John Delaney, was elected to Uefa’s executive committee.
The European Professional Football Leagues, which represents leagues from 25 countries, has criticised Uefa’s plans to offer more Champions League group places to clubs from the four biggest leagues.
A deal between the EPFL and Uefa to avoid schedule clashes expired last month, and the EPFL said its leagues would now be free to organise games at the same time as Champions League or Europa League matches.
Ceferin also promised €1m to each of Uefa’s 55 member associations as a “solidarity payment”. He was elected last September, shortly after Uefa had announced changes to the Champions League competition which gave more slots to clubs from the bigger leagues and cut the number allocated to the smaller ones.
The changes were implemented after the biggest clubs had discussed forming a breakaway super league.
European football faces a huge disparity between the top leagues such as the Premier League and Germany’s Bundesliga and the smallest ones, which are plagued by poor revenues, falling attendances and financial difficulties.
Ceferin said Uefa would sit down with the clubs, leagues and players to develop a “strategic vision” for European football over the next five years.
“This five-year plan will not be forced on you, it will not come out of the blue, as may have happened in the past,” he said. “It will not be drafted by some anonymous bureaucrat and his paper-pushers hidden away on the shores of Lake Geneva.”
Ceferin said Switzerland-based Uefa should not be afraid of the stakeholders but then issued stark warnings to the clubs and leagues. “We will work together to rectify the imbalances as much as possible – problems and imbalances for which you are also responsible,” he said. “Sharing must not be considered a dirty word.”