Juventus chief Andrea Agnelli drops latest hint over plans for European Super League

The European Club Association (ECA) chairman is pushing for guaranteed entrance to the Champions League for certain clubs

Andrea Agnelli is keen to form a European Super League (Getty)

Andrea Agnelli has dropped another hint at his desire to form a European Super League by claiming Roma should have been allowed to feature in this season’s Champions League despite not qualifying through Serie A.

The Juventus and European Club Association (ECA) chairman has made the case that the Giallorossi have contributed a significant amount to Italian football in recent years, namely their semi-final appearance in 2018.

Agnelli insists one bad season, where Roma finished sixth, should not leave them on the outside of Europe’s biggest club competition.

“Roma has contributed a lot in the last couple of years in maintaining the Italian rankings. They had a bad season and out,” Agnelli said at the FT Business of Football Summit.

Agnelli continued his defence of guaranteed places in the Champions League by insisting: “It is protecting the investments and costs [of clubs].”

Agnelli is adamant that football must embrace a Super League of sorts to fend off new competitors.

“If we are not progressive, we are simply protecting a system that is no longer there, a system that is made of domestic games that will have little interest for our kids,” Agnelli said last year.

The 44-year-old also addressed the serious issue of the coronavirus in Italy right now, which has forced Serie A to postpone this weekend’s round of fixtures.

“Public health is fundamental. Our position was clear from the start,” Agnelli said after Juventus vs Inter Milan was postponed last weekend.

“We had to be sure that it was the scientific community that said what can be done or not. The role of the authorities was to come out with a correct decision, this is what happened. Then its the sporting positions that work on what the authorities have imposed, considering our impact also on a social level.

“The economic effects of the actions must be overshadowed. I know that Steven Zhang has a position similar to mine. I have great respect for Steve, we discussed the epidemic a couple of weeks ago when he came to dinner my house.We discussed the seriousness of the situation.

“It is not the clubs that decide what should be done or not, the authorities have made it clear, and it is our responsibility now to follow what they have told us.

“The economy will be deeply affected, we hope that the situation will be contained and resolved. Each company will be affected, but what we hope is that we can return to normal and look to 2021 with optimism, to grow from the dip we are affected by this year.”