Barcelona and Real Madrid suspend European Super League talksBarcelona and Real Madrid have assured La Liga officials that they will temporarily suspend any involvement with a breakaway European Super League and remain committed to participating in Spain's domestic division for the foreseeable future.
La Liga clubs met in private in Manchester over the past two days to discuss details of how they can forge a more united approach both domestically and internationally as part of their drive to catch up with the growing financial strength of the Premier League.
Adolfo Bara, La Liga's director general of marketing on future plans and global strategy, told ESPN FC: "For the time being, Barcelona and Real Madrid have given us an amnesty as far as the European Super League is concerned. For La Liga to grow, we have to grow together and both clubs have told us they are now aligned with us in a more united approach."
While in Manchester the clubs received a series of presentations from Bara and also visited Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, where they were briefed on how clubs can benefit from a more a collective approach to areas such as the sale of television rights and distribution of income.
La Liga called the clubs to Manchester because some of its senior officials, located in its offices around the world, were in the city for the Soccerex Global Convention.
The debate on a European Super League reignited earlier this year following newspaper reports that some of England's leading sides had met to discuss the idea and, soon after, Barcelona's financial vice-president Susana Monje backed the idea.
Both of Spain's leading clubs have been among the leading voices on the controversial European Super League since it was first mooted more than 20 years ago.
Bara maintained that the "amnesty" does not mean the issue of the European Super League had been resolved and that La Liga continues to tread a careful path when it comes to dealing with two of the most powerful clubs in the world.
He said: "With Barcelona and Real Madrid we have a love-hate relationship. The key is to maintain the strength of our national league so that financially, we can get closer to the Premier League. It's been difficult convincing these two clubs on this but for now, they are with us.
"Of these two giants of the game, Madrid is the more difficult to deal with when it comes to the European Super League. Although they have committed to La Liga, they still think they can do their own thing. Our challenge is to continue convincing them that we must stick together."
La Liga and other members of the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) are firmly opposed to the idea of a breakaway European Super League, claiming it would have a negative impact on all national leagues across the continent.
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