Story highlights
CNN Sport speaks exclusively to English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore
Scudamore reveals there is "no chance" of top European clubs forming a breakaway league
He also rejects Sandro Rossell's recent comments about European matches on a weekend
English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has told CNN Sport that there is no chance of the top European clubs forming a breakaway league to rival the Champions League.
The possibility of a breakaway league has been mooted for several years and earlier this week Barcelona president Sandro Rossell suggested that Champions League matches should be played at the weekend, with the top European leagues all being reduced to 16 teams to accommodate the fixtures.
However, speaking exclusively to CNN Sport’s Don Riddell, Scudamore rejected any such notions and insisted that the Champions League will remain a midweek competition.
“A breakaway league is just not going to happen,” said Scudamore. “What has been said has been said but I’m not going to go along with the sentiment.
“In reality we have a Champions League, it’s a fantastic competition. Obviously there are some things the clubs would like to alter and ultimately discussions will take place and UEFA will do something to make sure things stay intact.”
Scudamore added: “But when it comes to ultimate football sanctions you just can’t break away. The only reason the Premier League was formed was because it had the permission of our Football Association.
“They are the ultimate arbiters of football in this country and for anyone else to go and play unsanctioned competitions is unthinkable. UEFA would have to agree with what happened, so the idea that anybody in football can just break away and do what they want is just impossible.”
And speaking specifically about Rossell’s comments, Scudamore continued: “What he said was from a Barcelona-centric view.
“Our clubs will not be playing European football on a weekend. European football is a midweek competition, and domestic football is a weekend competition.”
With six of the current top eight Premier League clubs now under foreign ownership, there has been talk the league might go the same way as American sport, with a franchise system and no promotion and relegation.
However, Scudamore was quick to dispel any fears of this, saying: “It doesn’t matter to us whether the owners are foreign or English, what matters to us is how they run their clubs.
“This idea that everyone who is a non-English owner is sat somewhere in a members club with these eight or nine other foreign owners, somehow with a common view, is nonsensical.”
He added: “The one thing I can’t see changing is promotion and relegation. That’s the lifeblood of the whole league.
“Last season Wolverhampton Wanderers were bottom but they still ended up defeating Manchester United – and there is no other league in the world when the bottom teams can be competitive with the top. It’s because they have to fight to avoid relegation.”
