Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has given his support to the new plans to launch a breakaway European Super League (ESL).
Two years ago, the ESL was met with a heavy fan backlash in the Premier League, which made the competition fail in its bid to work.
However, Kroos is now the first footballer to publicly back the ESL, and believes the new plan will work.
Kroos said UEFA is “by no means a great Samaritan for football fans.”
“I think we will see the Super League. And I believe so for several reasons,” he told podcast “Einfach mal Luppen”. “The idea of the Super League has changed and deserves to be heard.
“If you look carefully from both angles, you will see that UEFA is by no means a great Samaritan for football fans and that the Super League has no plans, at least in the second attempt, to exclude any team, because there will be no permanent founding members.
“It is a sports competition, an open tournament, but managed by the clubs and not by UEFA, because these clubs believe that they do not need UEFA for that. I think this deserves at least one chance.”
Earlier this month, it was announced that ESL planned to launch a new competition that could include as many as 80 teams in the future.
Kroos has argued that it’s time to listen to the ESL and their plans for football.
“I think we have only heard the UEFA side, and too often in my opinion,” Kroos added. “Why is it OK for UEFA to introduce a Nations League that no one needs? Suddenly no one asks them about it.
“That’s why I think it’s incredibly important to listen to other proposals like the Super League. I get the feeling that we are no longer being listened to.
“Although we have already talked about the loss of passion for football, I believe that the Super League has the opportunity to reverse that situation. Let there be more enthusiasm and emotion for the games that we will be able to see.
“Because in the end, let’s not fool ourselves, many people always say: ‘Who wants to see Real Madrid against Manchester City every week?’ But have you gotten tired of watching Federer against Nadal over and over again? I don’t. That’s my opinion.
“I think we can attract the fans and get them back to football, and it could also bring a completely different enthusiasm to the neutral fan.”
