A former CEO of RTL Germany has taken on the role of trying to create a European super league for football.
The idea is hugely controversial but leading clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich are said to be keen on the possibility.
Bernd Reichart, 48, has now been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the company spearheading a possible super league for Europe’s biggest and richest football clubs.
He says he wants to “listen to many diverse voices” in order to “find the right answers” to the many issues facing the world’s most popular sport.
At A22 Sports Management, a European commercial sports development company, he will try to make the idea become a reality in the coming years.
The Madrid based company was formed to sponsor and assist in the creation of the European Super League.
In its “advisory capacity” it focuses on the overall structure, operating and financial aspects of the potential new competition.
Reichart is an experienced media and sports executive who until recently served as Group CEO of RTL Deutschland, one of Europe’s leading media companies.
His initial focus will be to initiate an active and extended dialogue with a comprehensive group of football stakeholders including clubs, players, coaches, fans, media and policy makers.
A spokesman said, “The aim is to facilitate the development of a sustainable sporting model for European club competitions that reflects the long-term and mutual best interests of fans and the broader football community.”
Reichart said: “The current situation in European club football is characterised by a number of challenges which will not resolve themselves on their own.”
He adds, “The Presidents of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and the Chairman of Juventus FC have recently outlined their views on the issues facing the sport. I believe they are asking the right questions and am personally keen to listen to many diverse voices so that the European Football community can jointly find the right answers.”
He said, “The game we all love will benefit from honest and open dialogue, free of constraints, about a brighter future through serious reform.”
His appointment comes against the backdrop of the continuing legal process in the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding the legality, under competition law, of the current UEFA monopoly on European club competitions.
The CJEU judgement is expected in 2023. A22 is a co-claimant to the proceedings.
