24.05.2016 23:42 h

Euro Super League still on agenda

A breakaway European Super League is still being discussed in football's corridors of power, according to the sports executive involved when talks took place earlier this year.

Charlie Stillitano of the International Champions Cup (ICC) held discussions with Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool amid reports Europe's leading clubs wanted a potential competition in which they would be guaranteed to feature regardless of on-pitch results.

The ICC oversees lucrative friendly fixtures involving many of those teams and, while Stillitano recognises his company are in no position to create a Super League, he says it is "fact" others are debating one.

"We cannot in any way, shape or form make a Super League," Stillitano said on Tuesday.

"We are not the architects of this discussion. We know for a fact that everyone's talking about it - there's the ECA (European Club Association), there's UEFA - and looking for a way to improve things.

"If they look at our (ICC) tournament and see it as a model of a way for them to go forward, it's not us suggesting that. To me it's in the hands of the clubs and UEFA. They have to figure it out.

"We meet the teams all the time. There was nothing nefarious about it, nothing secretive. The meeting was on the notice board at The Dorchester (Hotel).

"The majority of the discussion was how we are going to build the ICC after this year. Everyone's talking about tournaments: Asia Cup, whatever. But we talked about everything."