Football
ESPN staff 8y

World Super League a possibility for football's future - Charlie Stillitano

Sports executive Charlie Stillitano, the organiser of the International Champions Cup, has said he believes a World Super League would be a possibility.

Stillitano, who earlier this month said talks with leading clubs over the idea of a European Super League were still ongoing, said changes to the game were "inevitable."

The American -- whose preseason tournament will feature clubs including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Leicester, Liverpool and Bayern Munich -- met representatives of leading English clubs at a London hotel earlier this year.

The Sun reported him as saying: "Changes are inevitable. I remember years ago when an Atlantic League was proposed.

"Clubs were worried about football being dominated financially by English, German, Spanish and Italian sides. So teams from Scotland, Portugal, Holland, Belgium and the Scandinavian countries wanted to form their own super league.

"There was something like £1 billion on the table for the clubs, but UEFA blocked it."

He said he believed teams "could easily represent Tokyo, Beijing and New York to take on the big European and South American clubs in a World Super League."

Stillitano said he was delighted with the reaction to the International Champions Cup, saying players "have really taken to it."

He added: "Ed Woodward at Manchester United laughed when I told him it would be great to get all the top clubs in the world in a preseason tournament.

"I was chatting to him recently and he said: 'You've really nailed it, haven't you Charlie?' Yes, we have."

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