Club joining unauthorized competitions will lose membership, says FIGC head

The FIGC council approved a new clause to be inserted into federation rules underlining that club registering for national leagues must clearly agree it will not join private, unauthorised competitions, or it will be banned.

Published : Apr 26, 2021 18:50 IST , MILAN

Gabriele Gravina says club joining unauthorised competitions will not be allowed to play national tournaments
Gabriele Gravina says club joining unauthorised competitions will not be allowed to play national tournaments
lightbox-info

Gabriele Gravina says club joining unauthorised competitions will not be allowed to play national tournaments

Italian club joining competitions which has not received authorisation by world and European governing bodies FIFA and UEFA will not be allowed to play in national competitions, the head of Italy's FIGC football federation said on Monday.

The move comes after three of Italy's top-flight Serie A club, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, were last week among 12 founding members of a proposed European Super League, which collapsed amid a fierce public backlash.

"Whoever is considering joining a competition which is not authorised by UEFA, FIFA and FIGC will lose its membership", Gabriele Gravina was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA .

A spokesman for FIGC confirmed the remarks, saying club joining unauthorised competitions, like the European Super League, will not be allowed to take part in Italy's competitions.

The FIGC council approved a new clause to be inserted into federation rules underlining that club registering for national leagues must clearly agree it will not join private, unauthorised competitions, or it will be banned.

READ |

The clause also applies to friendly games and tournaments.

The breakaway Super League project, which planned for some of Europe's biggest club to leave UEFA competitions but continue playing in national leagues, collapsed within three days amid an outcry from fans, governing bodies and governments.

“Anyone who has interpreted the Super League as a simple act of weakness on the part of some club experiencing economic difficulties is wrong," Gravina said.

“At the moment we have no news about who has stayed and who is out. This regulation will be inserted in the national licences and will then be embedded into the code of sporting justice.

“If, by the deadline for applications to the national championships, someone joins up to other private leagues, they are out.”

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment