European Super League CEO claims unnamed clubs have offered secret support to breakaway tournament - despite releasing a public statement against it

The idea for a new tournament with 64 clubs playing midweek in a league system across Europe came from the sports development business A22, which was founded to help create the football European Super League. The announcement of the plan followed the European Court of Justice's ruling that football organisations, FIFA and UEFA, had broken EU law by obstructing the creation of a Super League. Since the announcement, multiple clubs including the traditional top six of the Premier League, Atletico Madrid and many more have denounced the formation of the league.

Speaking with COPE's El Partidazo, he said [via Managing Madrid]: “Today many clubs have made statements in which we continue to see the long arm of a 70-year-old monopoly. Do we doubt that UEFA puts pressure on the clubs? Give them time and let us convince the clubs. We are going to convince the clubs. The best clubs in Europe. I promise you that today’s football is neither in love nor loyal to the end with the monopoly."

"I have spoken with many clubs today, but we have not tried to negotiate to close agreements. Another era of dialogue begins and at a given moment we are going to communicate the clubs that are going to constitute the Super League. We are not going to force the clubs to say today ‘I am here.’ We are not here to create walls. This is to unite, not to divide," he added.

"Some of the clubs that said ‘no’ today have called me to explain themselves. ‘They said ‘no’, but they said ‘here we are.’"

The 49-year-old also explained the funding for the league and how it would work during his interview: "We are going to offer the best football in the world completely free. The best football in the world, perhaps just the best football in the world, has the capacity to reach billions of fans around the world. And it has the possibility of being refinanced mainly by advertising. We are capable of obtaining more than 3,000 million euros a year in advertising."

"Saudi money is not behind the Super League. We have spoken with investors from Europe and the United States. I can guarantee the money with an American investment fund. It is already guaranteed. Do not have any doubt that we have the investment and the capacity to set up a streaming platform to provide the best football live and for free. We are sure of the reliability of that model," he added.

"The idea is that it will always be free. Always. What there maybe is a premium subscription for the crazy, crazy, crazy fan. We lose a lot of fans because football is prohibitive for many."

The league will continue to have the support of Spanish giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as they look to bring in more heavyweight support in their favour.