Real Madrid central midfielder Toni Kroos expressed his support for the ongoing plans to launch the breakaway European Super League (ESL) competition. This comes after the ESL announced its plan to launch a new competition that could include up to 80 teams.
While the prospect of the ESL has been on the receiving end of widespread backlash, Kroos believes that this criticism is largely unfounded, stating that UEFA is “by no means a great Samaritan for football fans.”
“It is a sports competition, an open tournament, but managed by the clubs and not by UEFA, because these clubs believe that they do not need UEFA for that. I think this deserves at least one chance,” Kroos said of the new competition.
Kroos furthermore believes that this tournament will eventually come to fruition. Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus, all of whom were among the 12 clubs to announce a breakaway competition in April 2021, have continued to push for its establishment, even as other former members have abandoned the project.
Kroos went on to say that too much attention has been given to UEFA’s argument and not enough to the ESL’s. He also referred to the establishment of the UEFA Nations League, which, in his opinion, “no one needs”.
