FIFA president Gianni Infantino refuses to back the idea of a ‘European Super

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has refused to back the £4.6billion ‘European Super League’ idea which resurfaced on Tuesday.

Sky News reported earlier this week that the breakaway league consisting of 18 elite clubs on the continent was backed by FIFA and Wall Street giant JP Morgan, with English clubs Liverpool and Manchester United key movers in the initiative.

However, Infantino has revealed he is not interested in the new idea, which could launch as early as 2022, and revealed his own plans to make football more global within its current structure.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino (above) refused to back the idea of a European Super League

English sides Manchester United and Liverpool are believed to be big movers in the plans

The FIFA president said: ‘As Fifa President, I’m interested in the Club World Cup, not the Super League. I’m not interested in Bayern versus Liverpool, but Bayern versus Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires.

‘Liverpool has 180 million fans worldwide. Flamengo about 40 million. Flamengo has 39 of these 40 million fans in Brazil. But Liverpool, however, has perhaps only 5 million fans in England, the other 175 million around the world.

‘I want clubs from outside Europe to have global appeal in the future. My vision is: there should be 50 clubs and 50 national teams that can become world champions.’

Infantino (above) announced his plans to make football more global in its current structure

The news arrived just after Liverpool and Manchester United’s plans to reform English football through ‘Project Big Picture’ were quashed after a meeting with Premier League clubs.  

The ‘European Super League’ would likely replace the Champions League and strip UEFA of its biggest asset in club football. It has been reported that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez drafted up the plans.

Incentives for teams to join the new league include prize money worth hundreds of millions of pounds offered on a yearly basis. 

However, Infantino says his priority is to help non-European teams in their growth in the football industry, especially during tough economic situations caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The 18-team league with big prize money would likely replace the Champions League (above)

‘Fifa’s mission is to promote and develop football around the world and not just in Europe. The differences between Europe and the rest of the…