Manchester, England
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has refused to deny that he or his staff met with rebel European Super League clubs before they launched their ill-fated project last month but said he never had supported a breakaway closed league.
Spanish La Liga president Javier Tebas has publicly accused Infantino of having been behind the project while the New York Times on Thursday cited sources saying that some of Infantino’s staff had been involved in talks about potential FIFA backing for the plan.
Asked on a press conference call, after FIFA’s congress on Friday, if he could categorically reject Tebas’s charge and the other claims of his or FIFA’s involvement, Infantino did not answer the question directly.
“We should look at the facts not rumours or corridor gossip. Especially not coming from certain parts,” he said.
“I have worked in different positions of relevance in football for decades. I know many clubs, I speak with clubs for many years, since my days with UEFA,” said the former secretary general of the European body.
“When speaking with European clubs, the Super League was always topic of discussion, always, everybody in football knows that.
So let’s not play games here,” he added.
“Everyone in football knows that for years and years some clubs are studying or preparing for this or similar projects.—AP
