(3) Agnelli (in an interview with La Repubblica yesterday, which was published today): "Superleague, the project goes ahead. We are trying to compete with Fortnite or Call of Duty that are the true focus of today's kids, who will be spending tomorrow." : soccer

(3) Agnelli (in an interview with La Repubblica yesterday, which was published today): "Superleague, the project goes ahead. We are trying to compete with Fortnite or Call of Duty that are the true focus of today's kids, who will be spending tomorrow." : soccer: Article is behind a paywall https://rep.repubblica.it/pwa/intervista/2021/04/21/news/andrea_agnelli_il_progetto_va_avanti_si_al_dialogo_con_uefa_e_fifa_-297339925/?ref=RHTP-BH-I293269148-P1-S3-T1 The main points of the interview: President Agnelli, the Superleague is losing pieces, is the project in danger of sinking? "Between our clubs there is a blood pact, we are moving forward. Do you think that the project can still be success? "Yes, it has a one hundred percent chance of success". How is it possible that three Italian teams of the Superleague, taking a bonus of 350 million, do not alter the balance of the Serie A in which they participate? "The bonus of 350 million a year is false. Why do you think that the Superleague will meet the preferences of younger people? "Younger people want to see the big events and are less tied to the elements of parochialism that marked previous generations, including my own. One third of global fans follow two clubs that are among the founders of the Superleague, 10 percent follow the big players and not the clubs, two-thirds follow soccer more for "the fear of losing something" than for anything else, and the most alarming statistic is that 40 percent of those between the ages of 16 and 24 have no interest in the world of soccer. We're going to create a competition that simulates what they do on digital platforms - like Fifa - means we're going to meet them and face the competition of Fortnite or Call of Duty that are the real attention centers of today's kids, who will be spending tomorrow." Do you fear that young people are abandoning soccer? "Football is experiencing a huge crisis of attractiveness towards the new generations. Stadiums have been closed for a year for those who have children of 10-15 years of age they know this: they are interested in other things. It's a process accelerated by the epidemic." What is the move to break the siege by the institutions of European and national soccer [towards the Superleague teams]? "We have confidence in the goodness of our initiative that we believe will be successful in the short period. For this reason, we are keeping the dialogue with institutions, FIFA and UEFA. Yet Uefa considers you "illegal". "What we are doing is perfectly legal. We are exercising a freedom provided by the EU Treaty. How do you define "open" an organization where 15 out of 20 members are always present? "Because there are five seats available and because the Superleague addresses the biggest problem in the soccer industry, which is the lack of stability. Do you really think you can open negotiations with FIFA or UEFA? "It is our hope. We have written to the presidents of FIFA and UEFA to talk. If Uefa begins to dialogue, are you ready to compromises or will the Superleague go ahead? Superleague will go ahead anyway? If they make a proposal, we will evaluate it." How did the Juve players react to the announcement? "They asked me when it starts."