Joan Laporta: Super League would not just be 'tiring' big-club clashes
By Tom Gott
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has once again insisted that the Super League would improve world football, stressing that it would not simply be repetitive clashes between big teams.
The Blaugrana are just one of three founding sides who continue to fight for the introduction of the Super League, alongside Real Madrid and Juventus, despite significant resistance from almost everybody else in football, including both UEFA and FIFA.
Laporta's latest defence of the concept came during a press conference for Sonora, during which he attempted to explain his vision for the competition and how he planned to work alongside the existing football structures.
"An improved Champions League, he revealed as his vision for the Super League. "With a very good competition format, it will surely be the most attractive competition in the world.
"But at the same time you have to be skilful to maintain the state leagues, this is essential.
"I believe in the leagues of each country and for me it would be a mistake for the Super League to replace the leagues."
When pressed on preserving the existing leagues, Laporta insisted some of the best moments in recent history have been underdog stories and he has no desire to see heavyweight-vs-heavyweight battles every week.
"I think that always playing between the big clubs would get tiring," the Barcelona president said. "It would end up getting tiring. Those of us who like football would end up getting tired.
"It's nice and healthy that a smaller team beats the big one. Supporting the weaker sides is very nice. You see the European Championships that were won by Greece, it was very nice. And when Leicester won in England, it was special. This is football."