Frank McCourt, pictured before a match at the Vélodrome in March 2019 (archives). – B. Horvat / AFP
In a column published in The world this Sunday, the owner of the Olympique de Marseille Franck McCourt is in turn opposed to the stillborn project of a Super League. “We are all, at the Olympique de Marseille, vehemently opposed to an anti-democratic and anti-competitive Super League”, writes the one who also presents himself as an “entrepreneur and philanthropist”. For the entrepreneur, who draws a parallel between sport and business, powerful interests should not distort competition in these two areas.
This position comes a few days after that of the coach of Olympique de Marseille, Jorge Sampaoli. At a press conference, the latter strongly criticized this project, which he described as “an attack on equal opportunities”. The Super League project was announced last week before being torpedoed 48 hours later by the withdrawal of six English clubs, after strong political and sporting protests, but also vehement reactions from supporters.