Barcelona have sent shockwaves throughout the football world this evening, with outgoing president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirming the club has agreed to join a European Super League.
Bartomeu made the comments as part of a press conference following his decision to resign after six difficult years in charge of the Catalan outfit, with the entire board of directors following suit.
As per journalists Samuel Marsden and Tariq Panja, the La Liga powerhouses have now become the first club to officially be a part of a proposal that would change football forever.
Panja reports that a vote of the Barcelona members is now left to decide the matter.
Bartomeu says Barcelona have accepted offer to appear in a European Super League!
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) October 27, 2020
“The Board of Directors has approved the acceptance of the requirements to participate in a future European Super League of Football Clubs, a project promoted by the big clubs in Europe.”
— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) October 27, 2020
Sky Sports reported earlier this month that several of the continent’s biggest clubs are in talks regarding the proposal, with financiers JP Morgan already securing $6bn in funding to make this happen.
It’s added that as many as 18 teams would be involved, with Manchester United and Liverpool already in talks, with the potential introduction of such a competition effectively making the Champions League redundant.
Even if the Champions League were to maintain its reputation, a Super League would have a drastic impact on the competition levels in domestic leagues.