Original subtitles

Arsenal Football Club has always been part of my life.

ARSENAL FANS WELCOME LEYTON ORIENT

It was less than 500 meters to the stadium.

I've had a season ticket, since I was ten.

It's practically a religion.

We only go to the stadium instead of going to church.

The most important word in the name of Arsenal is "club".

It is a community.

The city where I was born has a pretty rough working-class neighborhood.

Coal mining and shipbuilding were... the essentials. Soccer was the sport.

The local team was Newcastle. It belonged to the communities.

They said: If you're missing a striker, just whistle down the shaft.

In the beginning, soccer was a deeply a deeply ecclesiastical, local enterprise.

As children, we didn't even know that these teams had owners.

You sat with a season ticket with the same people week after week.

Their names were not known.

But they knew her through and through.

What makes soccer special, is the local identity. The pride of home.

The working class is organized in groups.

These non-profit soccer associations,

some even belong to fans, are managed by members.

We used to be a club where the fans owned a owned a significant proportion of the shares.

The biggest single change in the history of Arsenal

is the transfer of the fans' shares to an American investor.

When did the decline begin?

Was it when the soccer association allowed that you could earn money with soccer?

Stan Kroenke led Arsenal under his own management into an investor model.

All those whose grandparents had bequeathed them shares,

have been without thanks or a vote from a man,

who never went to a game, was forced out of the club.

Kroenke should get out!

The Manchester United fans hold him responsible: Joel Glazer.

Thousands came to express their their feelings and it escalated.

In the last ten or 15 years admission prices have become increasingly expensive,

as well as the transmission subscriptions.

The television says when the game will be played.

Television rights and global corporations combined to create a perfect storm.

The richest teams set themselves apart from the crowd.

They realized that they could divide the world into segments,

with an official credit card sponsor in every segment,

an official airline partner and even an official potato snack.

They basically turned the club basically into a cash machine.

We were told, fans of a big club,

which in principle turned into an entertainment business,

that would be progress.

That the game becomes global through a global audience.

But it's about the concentration of power

in the hands of a few owners from a few countries.

These clubs grew beyond their communities.

Away from the roots, tribalism and the communities.

We are losing something precious.

This is my club. I was there first.

KROENKE OUT - A LOVE

The danger is that billionaires kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

1 MRD. DOLLAR REVENUE

SUPER LEAGUE: THE GAME OFF THE FIELD

That's how I see it. We had the perfect proposal for international competitions.

Changes are painful. The older you get, the more painful they become.

JUVENTUS CHAIRMAN

That is a fact.

And we had to face up to that.

No, listen. Okay? I'll... I'll tell you one thing.

None of this would have happened, Aleks hadn't chickened out in 2019.

If we want to continue to grow, we need UEFA.

With UEFA, we have all the tools to work well together. Forever.

The data is absolutely clear.

In medium-sized and small leagues interest and spectator numbers are falling,

and the transmissions and commercial values are declining.

The younger generations do not follow the sport.

They evaporate.

For many clubs, making it into the Champions League is of great importance.

It is our duty to consider improvements for the world.

DECLARATION OF INTENT

They are the biggest power brokers in European soccer.

-That's a sign of unity, isn't it? -Yes, definitely.

In 2019, a truly innovative competitive landscape was proposed.

Aleksander Čeferin believed in it and supported them.

We worked hand in hand for over 15 months worked hand in hand,

until we got to the point where we made the first joint presentation

with the members of the ECA Board and the UEFA Executive Committee.

Then I saw the violence of the resistance of the system against change.

At the beginning of friendship

Andrea Agnelli and Aleksander Čeferin came up with a plan,

to create a new Champions League model,

according to which the historical elite

due to their status

with regard to qualification for the Champions League was privileged.

Who did that favor?

It would have been immense...

SOCCER COMMENTATOR

...for dwindling powers like Juventus and a disaster for smaller teams.

Who would watch national leagues?

The changed format would benefit rich clubs...

LALIGA PRESIDENT

...and harm the domestic leagues and poorer clubs.

It is an elitist thought, without thinking about the others.

The reform in 2019,

the failure of a joint project between Čeferin-UEFA and Agnelli-ECA,

we radically rejected and did not want to accept it.

In 90 years, we have had an industry

and functioning competitions with promotion and relegation.

Why stamp it out?

And then Čeferin saw, the pragmatist, saw which way the wind was blowing.

-The idea was put on hold. -When the idea was announced...

UEFA PRESIDENT

...we talked to shareholders and associations with links to national associations.

We discussed a lot

and realized that the idea was not ideal.

Sometimes ideas are not good.

If the ideas are not good, you give them up.

This created a rift between the two men,

even if Aleksander didn't notice them.

...to trust...

Aleks, President of UEFA, my daughter's godfather,

didn't want to take the steps at the length and the tempo,

as I thought necessary.

I had tried for eight years to shape the system from within.

We encountered a lot of resistance from UEFA met with a lot of resistance.

That made it extremely difficult to make progress,

the way I think we should have should have progressed.

There was an agreement. That's why Agnelli felt betrayed.

So that was the first step towards what a few years later

in a much more personal betrayal...

EUROPEAN-CLUB-ASSOCIATION-CHIEF

...on that weekend in April went the other way round.

DAY TWO APRIL 18, 2021

SWITZERLAND

5 O'CLOCK

Sunday morning.

I lay in my bed and thought about the situation.

I know how fans see such projects.

The working class goes to the games.

I know a Croatian, whose dog is also a member of the club.

And he pays for his dog every month.

Fans identify with their club.

They are together. United.

They are proud.

The Super League threatened the fans' sense of identity.

At 5 o'clock in the morning I realized:

We have a plan.

The moment Aleksander understood,

that Agnelli betrayed him,

I saw him as vulnerable.

-But then he reacted like a lion. -He revealed everything.

He was so focused.

UEFA HEAD OF FOOTBALL

He gathered us together and told us what to do.

I thought we could still convince them not to go.

I said we had to attack them with some kind of press release

and say: "Don't do that. That's a bad idea.

Nothing annoys fans more than big changes."

I hoped,

the Super League clubs would come to their senses.

The aim was, of course, that the pressure on the clubs would be so great,

that they would abandon the nonsense of the project.

UEFA includes people, movement and press.

It was the right moment, to talk about the Super League,

during the UEFA Congress.

They wanted to show that they are more powerful than UEFA.

They wanted to publish the Super League promptly.

It is always better to prevent something like this before it becomes public.

I'm like: "I have the hardest task in the next 48 hours."

Aleks told everyone: "We have to call anyone who can help."

One of the clubs called me and said:

"We have to participate."

I said: "If you join in, we'll be enemies from tomorrow."

We spoke to the soccer people.

With players, coaches and experts.

PREMIER LEAGUE BOSS

There have been many discussions between us, UEFA,

the Football Association, LaLiga and above all the Bundesliga.

The phones were ringing off the hook that day.

We called our partners, broadcasters and sponsors.

UEFA SECRETARY GENERAL

I told Giorgio: "Stop it, I'm going to break."

I say: "I take the French and the Germans,

and you take the rest."

10 AM

I called the leagues

to sign a release agreement with UEFA and the associations concerned.

We prepared a press release. I thought the first draft was too nice.

We need to be more aggressive.

WILL BE BANNED FROM PLAYING

We had to look strong.

ALL MEASURES AVAILABLE TO US

We needed their attention.

We threatened to ban them from playing...

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

...and club exclusions.

SEND

The message went out.

THE CYNICAL PROJECT

They certainly surprised the Super League, because they had other plans.

How should they react?

ITALY

10:15 AM

On Sunday I played with my children in Turin.

Some speculation arose.

People began to talk.

Okay.

We were attacked by shareholders from the industry.

At the time, we didn't know in which direction we would go.

Ultimately, this is not a bilateral agreement.

Not about two parties. Many parties had to sign a contract,

which would not necessarily happen.

I set a deadline. If it happens at a certain time, it happens.

If not, I'll have to jump in a car and drive to the UEFA Congress in Montreux.

Time was of the essence.

Andrea Agnelli's position was crazy.

He was in favor of the Champions League, which he secretly intended to blow up.

We are very close to my ideal Champions League very close.

In a couple of weeks pretty much everything should be settled.

That is the hope that both President Čeferin and I have.

Agnelli did such a big splits, that his pants threatened to tear.

This pressure on him.

I worked on two projects.

I had the spin-off project,

did on the other hand but really did everything I could,

in the interests of the clubs and the ECA.

I really hope and ask you that we approve this system today

and instruct the Executive Board to to carry out the final details.

There was still a lot to do that day.

The most important clubs in Europe.

INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS

You put together a competition and launch it on the market.

THE FOUNDING ASSOCIATIONS

But they have to sign a 150-page binding document.

SPAIN

Agreeing on a document...

SUPER LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL

...which was almost 200 pages long, was difficult.

But the owners of the clubs were all motivated by a common cause.

They were united by frustration about the current soccer system

and how it works.

To understand today's game,

you have to go back a few decades back to the era of the Galácticos.

THE GALÁCTICOS

Real Madrid...

REAL MADRID PRESIDENT

...had a hard time in the year 2000, when I arrived. The club belongs to members.

So every four years the members elect their president,

who manages the association.

I introduced myself and said: "I can save Real Madrid."

I had to privately with almost 150 million euros,

to get Real Madrid out of there.

Nothing scares me.

I am very happy...

...and will dedicate myself to the task of inspire the partners.

I said: "I will put all my energy into it,

because Madrid lasts forever."

Florentino Pérez revolutionized soccer,

when he said in 2000: "Football is Disneyland, is Hollywood."

He picked out the biggest stars and put them all in this one team.

This attracted so much attention, that revenue skyrocketed.

Since 2000

have played here the best players in the world have played here.

I signed Zidane.

Ronaldo.

Beckham,

the Galácticos.

Cristiano Ronaldo.

Because he makes it so pure.

Modrić, Ronaldo!

Don't run any further!

Goal! Real Madrid wins the UEFA Champions League!

These top players have brought us 14 European Cups to date.

That's why Real Madrid has the most fans in the world.

We used to take in 100 million euros, now 300 million euros,

We recorded gains instead of losses.

There is a very strong correlation...

FIFA GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

...between money and victory.

The more you are prepared to pay players,

the higher the chances of success in the league.

We destroyed the competitiveness in our local leagues.

In Italy Juventus have won nine in a row.

In Germany Bayern Munich is the eternal winner.

In Spain there is the duopoly of Barça and Real.

Paris Saint-Germain in France.

Why start the season? You know the result.

Very rich people, who buy European clubs,

have a competitive advantage over all other clubs,

which leads to this distortion of competition.

It is the result of the emergence of the sugar daddies of soccer.

ARMS RACE IN SPENDING

Arab capitalists, Russian oligarchs,

very rich people from China...

The sugar daddies were not interested in profit, but prestige

and political power.

Man City is owned by a sheikh, Chelsea to an oligarch.

The fight for money,

Oligarchs and sheikhs against each other, when Man City take on Chelsea.

Sugar daddies have become much more important.

UEFA COMPLIANCE MANAGER

"Sugar daddies" is a good term, but they want something for that sugar.

These associations are part of of the soft power division of these countries,

to project a better image on their countries.

Sportswashing is one way, using sport to improve images.

We donated the soccer field for the children.

Man City takes care of communities, children.

For oligarchs, Sheiks and petrodollar teams

soccer is is not a profit-oriented business.

You gain a global reputation

and change, how they are perceived worldwide.

You immediately get millions of supporters worldwide.

Support Manchester City, you support Abu Dhabi.

You can see this huge mass of capital from all over the world.

From the Middle East, from Russia, from Asia.

Roman Abramovich buys into Chelsea.

A Russian oligarch...

...estimated to be worth 23 billion dollars.

Sheikh Mansour took over Manchester City...

The brother of the Prince of Abu Dhabi.

A multiple of Abramovich's fortune.

Qatar buys Paris Saint-Germain.

And recently, the Saudi Arabian sovereign sovereign wealth fund bought Newcastle United.

Saudi Arabia's human rights situation is condemned by 36 countries.

These countries already have money. They don't want to earn any more money.

Their main goal is to mobilize hundreds of thousands of fans. You want them to think:

"The human rights thing is not so bad."

They just want their team to win.

Roman Abramovich!

Sheikh Mansour drove to Spain in a Lamborghini!

A reason to celebrate for many Newcastle United fans.

Everyone wants the richest owner in the world.

Every nation state, Qatar for example, which bought Paris Saint-Germain,

is thus planting its flag into the center of world sport.

KATAR

I carry the Qatar flag with pride.

THE AMBASSADOR

Hello.

Hello, how are you?

Hi, nice to meet you.

PARIS-SAINT-GERMAIN PRESIDENT

Qatar deserves a place on the world map.

That is so important for us.

Is everything okay here?

You are at home here.

You should feel comfortable.

This is normally the center court.

I always wanted to work in sport.

It's in the blood of all Qataris. We love sport.

Really, sport is our oxygen, so to speak.

I played tennis all my life.

I learned more from tennis probably more than I did at school.

Discipline. Self-confidence.

Giving up tennis was difficult for me.

I asked myself, "What now?"

I wanted to do something in the sports sector.

An investment.

That's how I started to build my career.

The ex-tennis pro from Qatar

is worldwide one of the youngest soccer presidents

and is leading a kind of revolution in France's capital.

Nasser played tennis tennis with the future Emir of Qatar.

MODERATOR

The relationship helped him to the position chairman of the beIN Media Group,

one of the largest soccer broadcasters in the world.

And he became president of the PSG soccer club.

Soccer is a very conservative industry,

and here comes a figure in the shape of Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

He doesn't look like her, he doesn't talk like her...

...and he is the biggest shark in the water.

One senses a certain degree of contempt and skepticism.

"This is our game."

To see this newcomer struts into the saloon

and one and makes a "new gunslinger".

Soccer fans outside Paris found these owners cheeky.

They embodied everything that was wrong with soccer.

With the purchase the club took in 70 million.

We spent ten years building this up.

Today, the value of the association is between 2.7 and 3 billion.

Is this a good investment? A great one for me.

Our dream is to play in the top league of the top clubs.

PSG doubled the record transfer fee,

last month when it paid 200 million pounds for the Brazilian Neymar last month.

First it was Neymar, now it's Mbappé.

180 million euros for the 18-year-old striker from Monaco.

How can they afford it?

You lose a lot of money.

And they don't care.

They are a completely different class.

You are Qatar.

The money literally shoots literally shooting out of the ground.

PSG is becoming this absurd collection of top-class players.

Qatar got the World Cup.

And they wanted to do everything, what was possible,

to make Qatar into a soccer stronghold.

It's all about that,

to promote the image of the emirate in the best possible way.

...one of the most popular athletes in the world brings his talent to Paris.

He took farewell to Barcelona last week.

He wanted to stay, but they couldn't afford him.

PSG has proven that it can afford almost anyone. can afford. Hardly any other club can do that.

They box the others out.

Goal from Messi!

With the transfers of Neymar and Mbappé for 400 million euros in one summer

they suddenly bought other players for horrendous sums.

That created a crazy bubble, that defied all reason.

WAGE COSTS RISE BY 400 MILLION FUND

Costs rose dramatically. Income did not follow suit.

The Real Madrids and the Barcelonas can't keep up with teams,

who can invest endless amounts of money into their clubs.

I can't go on a spending spree with Roman Abramovich,

with the brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi.

I have a good hedge fund.

I'm not taking on Saudi Arabia.

Florentino Pérez's strategy was: "I will buy icons.

If I spend too much on them, they increase my fame."

Other wealthy owners adopted this model.

Some have more money than Real Madrid, so they were even more successful.

It's like owning the most beautiful penthouse in the world,

this is Real Madrid.

Your brand stands for the best. The best players for the most money.

And then someone builds a penthouse above your penthouse.

Suddenly the petrodollar teams arrive

and say: "We are reorganizing the world."

You have to invest in the company, to make it profitable.

We invest not only in Paris Saint-Germain.

But throughout Europe.

This will increase the revenue of the television rights in France

and subsequently the rest of Europe as well.

This benefits small clubs,

middle

and large.

-PSG's first goal! -It's flimsy,

to say that more money means we could save soccer.

In the past, more money meant meant more problems,

as one famous rapper said.

Mbappé!

If the players' salaries rise, the other teams can't keep up.

UEFA let the problem become so excessive,

that Barcelona now has a debt of 1.1 billion euros.

Paris Saint-Germain storms one of the largest castles in Europe.

The system is not getting us anywhere. We are getting poorer and poorer.

BARCELONA PRESIDENT

For example, if we are looking for a player for the Barcelona soccer club,

then PSG and Manchester City have have more resources,

to double the supply.

It is difficult to compete under these circumstances.

Shocking figures and financial situations...

Barcelona in financial distress with debts of over 1 billion dollars.

You have 1.15 billion pounds in debt.

A DESPERATE SPORT

The players would probably would probably not even have been paid.

Take a look at the market. Only associations that belong to a state invest.

But the rest of the clubs have financial problems.

Barcelona drift into mid-table.

Even the most passionate Barcelona fans

see nothing positive here.

Kwame is lurking! And it's an own goal!

The Juventus temple collapses.

Real Madrid takes a beating.

At the same time, you can see the tensions between other owners are growing.

THE NEW AMERICANS

American sports moguls, who own European soccer clubs,

it's all about the money.

It's the billionaires, who used to make money from the NFL

-or with the NBA. -Jokic with a 5-meter throw!

The Glazers, Owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,

bought into Manchester United.

GLAZER GAINS CONTROL OF MAN UNITED

Stan Kroenke, he owns the LA Rams.

He bought Arsenal.

ARSENAL FOR £1.8 BILLION

-John Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox... -The Red Sox win!

...bought Liverpool.

HENRY'S $476M LIVERPOOL 'THEFT'

For the American investors it was not just a hobby.

It should earn them money and be a safe investment.

That is why they are drawn to the Premier League,

the league with the highest revenue in soccer.

We love the Premier League!

The Premier League was powerful. The big fish.

This attracts American owners.

You saw the worldwide ratings for Liverpool v Manchester United.

They surpassed those of the Superbowl.

She says: "I'm in."

The Premier League has more fans

than US sport. 3 billion viewers worldwide.

It is broadcast in 188 countries to almost one billion households.

The Americans were horrified to realize that there was a group,

against which they were no match.

Sheikhs, oligarchs, nation states.

America has salary caps, that limit spending.

You compete with the same budget as everyone else.

How do you compete as a businessman without unlimited oil money?

The American investors extrapolated their balance sheets

and saw diminishing returns.

It was a Wild West. There was no control over spending.

What happens when clubs don't care whether they are in the black?

The other clubs, who see themselves as a company,

are in favor of financial regulation.

The clubs understood that soccer had no future

without a new base.

The corona pandemic has opened a new front today:

The biggest sports competition in the world has been canceled...

...as a reaction to the escalating pandemic.

...decided, to postpone the match in England.

The soccer industry lost money money structurally in the years before Corona.

But when Corona came,

basically all the problems of the football of the soccer industry.

No professional soccer until further notice

or grassroots soccer is no longer played.

The pandemic came. The game stopped.

The situation had been difficult even before Corona

and then became disastrous during Corona.

Our ecosystem is fragile.

We must act responsibly and help each other.

The five best soccer leagues in Europe

could lose around 4.5 billion dollars in revenue.

The television stations no longer pay the clubs,

because they have nothing to send.

The sponsors are also unhappy...

Professional clubs in England and Europe

threat of economic collapse.

What then?

Do you then sit at home and say "Damn"?

No, you look for something new.

The system is obviously unsustainable.

I personally learned about the Super League project

only very late in 2020.

The most outstanding clubs in Europe,

who wrote European soccer history have written,

who said... as a wake-up call:

"Either something changes or we take care of ourselves."

For the Super League clubs

UEFA's cost control of UEFA simply did not work.

So they looked for something of their own,

that they could control.

We need the same rules for everyone.

We are only allowed to spend what we earn from soccer,

not what we generate from mysterious external financial sources.

The Super League reached an agreement,

that nobody should use soccer for anything other other than soccer.

Spend unlimited money.

We controlled the unlimited inflation that takes place in soccer.

I was informed about a possible Super League.

It was the proposal for a new competition format

under new management.

And they wanted Barça in this group.

Pérez, Agnelli and I are rivals.

Barça should win. They want the same for themselves.

With the Super League

the financial sustainability of the of the soccer clubs was guaranteed.

MARCH 2020

APRIL 18, 2021

THE INFORMATION PUZZLE

1 PM

The Super League thing came out at a strange time:

on a Sunday afternoon.

EXCLUSIVE - 5 ENGLISH CLUBS SIGN FOR SECESSION LEAGUE

Martyn Ziegler of the Times tweeted it, published a story,

and we followed it up.

CLUBS WANT "SUPER LEAGUE"

It went viral.

The developing story from the Times...

...like an earthquake...

...European Super League...

...new structures for European soccer.

A manager of a of a Super League team called me,

and I said: "You're crazy. This is never going to happen."

He said: "No, this is a huge operation.

We have lobbyists in every country.

We have specialized PR teams in every country. It's a machine."

I was emotionally overwhelmed.

I thought of cross-generational memories.

To the small clubs in England.

The thought of the Super League buried it all alive.

I've never been worse.

This will change the soccer world, as we know it.

The start of the biggest poker game in European soccer.

EHEM. MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYER

A war against soccer.

We heard more and more media reports and feedback

about the Super League of some clubs.

I was so surprised to see Arsenal on the list of these clubs.

We did a lot of research. Arsenal fans didn't want that.

A Super League would destroy everything we believed in.

It was probably still under development.

What particularly outraged people and even disgusted them, was,

that you can for the Super League not through performance

qualified in the local leagues.

It would be an organization with basically exclusive membership.

This shows that the fans

the club owners don't care.

Extreme greed.

The clubs should be ashamed of what they do

and are prepared to leave behind.

FRANCE

My colleague Kevin Miles from Great Britain called me.

Some English clubs would probably disappear.

But at the time that was just a rumor.

It was just a credible threat.

The details are still unclear. We have until the evening

or wait until tomorrow, to find out more details.

BROADCASTER

When I heard about it, I thought...

I really wanted details.

Everyone was waiting for information.

1:30 PM

This Super League had an advantage in this respect,

that we didn't know what they were planning. The aim was to be ready.

We didn't know what to expect.

We put the information together like a jigsaw puzzle.

We're talking about billionaires here, the owners of our biggest clubs.

Are they coming with something big?

We didn't know what kind of weapons

and support they would have in this project.

It is called the European Super League.

But everyone probably knows that five countries are important here.

England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

They represent the most viewers and the most money.

If you get the biggest clubs in these countries,

the battle would have been won, so to speak.

Especially Italy and Spain. These are the highly indebted clubs,

that are at risk of going bankrupt.

They really think they're trying to to save soccer.

In England they were, I think, less concerned

about this existential threat.

The big six, Liverpool,

Manchester City, Manchester United,

Arsenal, Chelsea

and Tottenham Hotspur.

They play in a super league, the Premier League.

The state clubs, Chelsea and Man City,

don't need the Super League or money.

They own clubs for reasons that go beyond money.

But the Super League always thought they would get the Germans and the French.

They wanted PSG and Bayern Munich because of their top positions

in France...

-PSG, domestic triple. -and Germany.

Bayern Munich became Bundesliga champions once again.

If a Super League really wants to really wants to include the best clubs in the world,

who all play together in the same competition,

then you would assume 100%, PSG and Bayern would take part.

These two clubs are undoubtedly undoubtedly at the top of the pyramid.

We were wondering whether the two representatives of the clubs will show up.

One of the two

was Nasser Al-Khelaifi from Paris Saint-Germain.

Before that, Madrid and its president Florentino

came to Paris to offer me to join the Super League.

They sold it as guaranteed money. More games, competitive games.

And no risk.

That was their goal, the best five leagues in the world.

It was definitely important for them that we took part.

They put pressure on me.

"Yes or no?"

I thought my decision...

It was really so important for everyone. For both sides.

Aleksander called me on Sunday.

He said: "Nasser, please come to the UEFA meeting

and show that you are still with us."

It would be massively damaging to UEFA,

PSG to the Super League.

As head of UEFA

you don't want to see Neymar and Mbappé to play for the Super League.

There was a lot of speculation about what PSG would do.

We wondered, what role PSG might have played.

It's a soccer team on steroids.

Exactly what the Super League is. Of course, such a competition would

have an attraction for PSG.

Then on Sunday another piece of the puzzle came to light.

THE LEAK

I've had people make suggestions to me via secure chat functions leaked suggestions

and documents.

ACCESS GRANTED

IS WANTED...

THIS BINDING DECLARATION

There were details there, what this Super League should look like.

I can't reveal my sources, but I got it from someone nasty.

The aim was to strategically damage the Super League strategically before its launch.

It was called "Framework agreement between the founding associations".

A 78-page contract.

In addition to the founding clubs, there were also clubs that were to join later.

They were Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Objectively speaking, no person responsible for these clubs can

remain on the outside forever. You will then want to join.

Should the Super League come into being,

it would be clear and inevitable, that PSG, given its ambitions

and its essence.

The same applies to Bayern Munich.

Germany, where Bayern Munich always wins.

We knew that Bavaria had been invited to this elite group.

In the published documents there was this 30-day period,

to join.

The alleged deadline for us to join... We were never informed of this.

LEGAL COMMITTEE

Bayern Munich is one of of the largest sports institutions in the world

in one of the richest economies.

If a Super League had been founded, they would have talked to Bayern.

They seemed to want to push us into it,

by saying: "Okay, we won't take them in not take them in, but put them under pressure."

As Bayern Munich, you would assume they would want us in the Super League.

Juventus and Real Madrid wanted to get everyone to sign.

I just didn't know how long the fight would last.

I'm a big club, but for me... I was ashamed.

That is not the image that the big clubs want to project.

We cannot destroy the dreams, the hope of the fans and clubs.

The Super League will break the whole system.

Our answer is clear.

We do not participate.

Every format, every league, every competition should be supervised by UEFA.

So

I flew.

5:20 PM

My first question was: "Where is Aleksander?"

I went inside.

I hugged him.

I said: "We'll get through this together.

Right to the end."

Nasser Al-Khelaifi came from Paris Saint-Germain.

He supported us in every way. I trusted him completely.

He understands soccer,

and he knows that it is a mistake to kill a cow for a kilo of meat.

What counts is how you behave in a crisis.

New alliances were formed very quickly.

PSG has shown the necessary loyalty at the right time.

And this has proved to be an excellent solution.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi made it from the annoying nouveau riche of soccer

to the established bodies to the top of European soccer.

This weekend in April curiously enough

his place as a key figure in the establishment.

In the days that followed there was a call to arms.

Who will be the head of the European Club Association?

Departure from the stage Andrea Agnelli from Juventus. He had to go.

It is the Super League.

Who will be the new manager? Nasser Al-Khelaifi on the right?

We have to organize ourselves. Our army. Who are our soldiers?

You want to find out who is for you and who is against you.

I phoned around.

I called clubs.

Bavaria.

We confirmed, we would not be part of the Super League.

Bavaria could not have been clearer

against the renegade league can pronounce.

Bayern Munich will not become part of the Super League.

...an outright rejection of the Germans to the Super League.

A project like the Super League would be a red rag for a bull,

when it comes to the German fans.

No owner can own more than 49% of of a German team.

The German soccer feeling

rejects the idea of big money from owners.

A move from Bayern to a super league would therefore

the very activist and socially conscious German soccer public.

Bavaria was on our side.

These people were invited, but refused to to take part in the project.

I said: "You were on the right side at the right moment on the right side of history."

Nobody can take that away from you.

I'm like, "Maybe nothing will happen after all."

Perhaps they understand that I have significant support

and it's just a stupid project.

SWITZERLAND

6:30 PM

The fact that PSG and Bayern were against the Super League,

demonstrated the strength and support for UEFA.

But our information was still incomplete at the time.

Certain people no longer answered the phone.

My last conversation with my ex-Chairman of the Board Agnelli

was at the board meeting on Friday of the European Club Association.

I tried to call Andrea myself. He didn't answer.

Charlie tried 100 times, to call Andrea. No one reached him.

Everyone mistrusted everyone.

THE HEART OF FOOTBALL

The right thing to do was to convene a board meeting.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi from PSG turned up.

Michael Gerlinger came from Bayern Munich.

Edwin van der Sar from Ajax.

NETHERLANDS

I have to make sure...

AJAX MANAGING DIRECTOR

...that medium-sized countries are represented. Sunday was a final day in Holland.

Ajax wins the Dutch Cup!

The players took photos with the trophy.

I had a Zoom conversation with clubs that were still with the ECA.

MEETING WAS SCHEDULED

CONNECT...

All Board members were invited

and then waited, who, especially from the larger clubs

would come from the big leagues, where all the focus was.

"Are they the Super League?"

No one came from Italy.

Spain? No club.

But then...

None from England.

You could see that a few clubs didn't show up,

although they should be there.

We thought they had pulled it off. Yes.

EXIT

Everything began to crumble.

Chelsea as well as Manchester City.

Why would oligarchs and Gulf states want to join the European Super League?

I spoke to people from these clubs.

-They thought, "There goes soccer." -There was a fear of missing out.

If the train left the station and it would pass,

we have to go along for the ride.

Manchester City is a major coup for the coup for the Super League teams.

Likewise Chelsea. Because you can control them.

Stop this runaway inflation.

The American owners want order and regular profits.

Then there was Agnelli and Barcelona in its current state.

Everything came together at that moment. This is Florentino Pérez's dream.

He finally has the right partners, the henchmen to make this possible.

11:30 PM

I got on the phone and called everyone.

But no one answered.

Not via WhatsApp, no message. No phone calls.

You were in the Super League.

I received a tsunami of resignations.

All these clubs left the ECA one after the other.

From this position, from this, this.

Juventus...

EMPLOYEE SECRETARY GENERAL

I was still awake. The first publications came shortly after midnight.

Real Madrid...

I received 25 e-mails. Formal letters with resignations

of the clubs, obviously very coordinated.

Barcelona...

For the first time we saw the names of the clubs.

Arsenal, Man United,

Atlético Madrid...

Her decision to cross this line was a shock.

FORMAL COMMUNICATION

Milan...

Six Premier League teams.

00:10 AM

PRESS RELEASE

TOP FOOTBALL CLUBS ANNOUNCE SUPER LEAGUE

Your press release appeared at night.

LEAVE OUR ROLE AS MEMBERS OF THE

It was a direct confrontation. No... no further conversation about it.

That was the worst experience of my life.

Then followed 48 hours of of complete chaos.

I love Juventus as a club.

I love the games, the passion of the games.

I love winning games.

What I don't love is the leadership.

As a monopolist, UEFA is abusing its dominant role.

Subtitles by: Maja Chalhoub