Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 7y

Miami Clasico clash a step towards super league - Charlie Stillitano

The match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Miami this summer is a possible first step towards a European super league, International Champions Cup (ICC) organiser Charlie Stillitano has said.

Stillitano, the chairman of Relevant Sports, is one of the key figures behind the expanding ICC, which involves many of Europe's top clubs playing in worldwide locations every year.

On Friday, it was announced that the 2017 tournament will see the first Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid on U.S. soil, with the match played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and shown live on ESPN on July 29.

And speaking to AS at the launch event, Stillitano said: "We always want to grow. I do not want to insinuate that we will do anything outside the rules of the football governing bodies at the moment.

"We respect this sport and we will see what happens. But this is a big first step [towards a European super league], for sure."

Asked whether the arrival of a super league was a possibility in the near future, he added: "Everything is possible in the future.

"There is nothing outlined at the moment, but we have had great partnerships with teams from La Liga, the Premier League. We will have to see what happens with time."

Barca and Madrid both took part in the ICC last summer, alongside clubs including Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Leicester City.

The 17-team tournament was played in 19 venues across the United States, Europe, Australia and China, with Juventus winning the China edition and PSG picking up the trophy for the U.S. and Europe.

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