UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin declared European football must remain open to all clubs amid ongoing speculation concerning a breakaway Super League.
Although the majority of the Super League's founding members withdrew in the face of public and political pressure following a much-criticised launch last April, the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus remain committed to the project.
Florentino Perez, who was to be named Super League chairman, has continued to call for Europe's elite clubs to secede from UEFA, insisting the breakaway competition was "still alive" in June.
More recently, Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos backed the stance of the Blancos president by claiming: "It [the Super League] should have been in operation for a long time".
But Cerferin, speaking at the FPF Football Talks Portugal 2022, emphasised his confidence in the continental game's existing structure.
"Football, for sure, will stay open in our competition always. The essence of European football, which is by far the strongest football in the world, is that it's open," he said.
"What those people who think that only the elite play football don't understand is that even they would be much worse if they wouldn't have everyone competing.
"Last season we saw Sheriff [Tiraspol] from Moldova winning in Madrid against Real Madrid. If my Slovenian team with a budget of two million won against Tottenham, that's the essence of European football. It's part of our culture. It's part of our history and it will never change.
"It shouldn't change and what many people don't know is that UEFA returns in club football 93.5 per cent of all the revenues to the clubs, and altogether 97 per cent of all the revenues go back to the clubs.
"This is the most important part of football and that's why we are as successful as we are. I absolutely insist and will insist that the dream will stay alive for everyone."
One of the clubs' major motivations for looking to break away from UEFA, besides the ability to regulate their own competition, is to arrange more money-spinning contests against other elite sides.
Despite the Super League's demise, the participants are set to get their wish when the Champions League introduces an additional four group-stage matches for each team from the 2024-25 season.
That change has been met with fierce criticism from some quarters, with the busy nature of the football calendar already a major talking point.
While Ceferin acknowledged the challenges created by the schedule, he claimed a "balance" between player welfare and financial sustainability had been found, and pledged there were no further reforms planned.
"The calendar is very dense. I have to say it feels close to the limit probably. The thing is that clubs have to stay sustainable," he added.
"If clubs want to be sustainable, they have to have a certain amount or number of matches. Now, the ones who complain are mainly from the big clubs who really play more than the others, but from the other point of view, they have 25 top-class players.
"So the truth here is not black and white. I think we should seriously think about the number of matches, some think that two cups are too much. That's not the jurisdiction of UEFA to decide.
"But in principle, from one point of view clubs are saying that they want matches to get revenues so they can say sustainable. From the other point of view, some are complaining about too many matches.
"So we have to find a balance here. I think we did find it and we changed the competition post 2024. After that, I don't see any possibility of changing anything soon."
Meanwhile, Ceferin also highlighted his confidence the World Cup would make a return to Europe in 2030, backing a joint bid from Spain and Portugal.
"I see it as a winning bid. We will do whatever we can to help the bid. It's time for Europe to host the World Cup. Both countries are passionate about football," he said.
"You feel and you smell football in Spain and Portugal. The infrastructure is great.
"So we have some plans on how to help. I think, and I'm sure, that will have the World Cup in 2030 in Spain and Portugal."
On this day in 2018: Arsene Wenger announces his Arsenal exit
On this day in 2018, Arsene Wenger announced he would step down as Arsenal manager at the end of the season after almost 22 years in the role.
Appointed in September 1996, the Frenchman had presided over a glittering period in the club’s history which yielded three Premier League titles, the last of them famously secured by his “Invincibles”, who went through the 2003-04 league campaign unbeaten.
In addition, former Nancy, Monaco and Grampus Eight boss Wenger guided the club to FA Cup glory on seven occasions and secured 20 successive seasons of Champions League football during a reign spanning 1,235 matches, 828 of them in the top flight.
However, his announcement came amid mounting disquiet over the club’s showing in both the Premier League and Europe, with three FA Cup successes in four years failing to placate his critics.
Wenger said: “After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season.
“I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity.”
Majority owner Stan Kroenke paid tribute to the man who had gone toe-to-toe with Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson and Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho.
Kroenke said: “This is one of the most difficult days we have ever had in all our years in sport.
“One of the main reasons we got involved with Arsenal was because of what Arsene has brought to the club on and off the pitch.
“His longevity and consistency over such a sustained period at the highest level of the game will never be matched. Arsene has unparalleled class and we will always be grateful to him.”
Wenger, described by Ferguson as “without doubt one of the greatest Premier League managers” and by former Gunners skipper Tony Adams as “the greatest Arsenal manager”, bowed out after a 1-0 final-day victory at Huddersfield on May 13, 2018.
The 68-year-old said afterwards: “I feel that I got a lot of respect not only from our fans, but from England. I would reiterate I loved English football, but I also learned to love England. You do not stay 22 years if you don’t like it.”
Juventus hit back from two goals down to salvage a draw at Cagliari
Juventus fought back from two down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Cagliari but the result did little to dispel speculation over the future of manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Allegri has faced heightened scrutiny over his long-term prospects at the Turin club after a poor run of form.
The Old Lady hit the Serie A summit in January but have struggled for victories in recent months and almost suffered a painful defeat to old boss Claudio Ranieri.
Cagliari raced into a two-goal lead after they were awarded two first-half penalties, which Gianluca Gaetano and Yerry Mina dispatched.
However, Ranieri was denied a victory as Dusan Vlahovic pulled one back before Alberto Dossena put through his own net with three minutes left to leave Juventus in third position with Bologna and Roma breathing down their neck after winning only two of their last 12 league matches.
Allegri made two changes in an attempt to arrest Juve’s stuttering form with Carlos Alcaraz and Timothy Weah handed starting opportunities.
It failed to have the desired impact with Cagliari able to quickly take control of the contest with away stopper Wojciech Szczesny the busier of the two goalkeepers.
After a strong start, the hosts were rewarded with the chance to go ahead on the half an hour mark when Bremer was penalised for handball after a header by Dossena.
Gaetano fired into the bottom corner from 12yards but not long after the celebrations had finished at Stadio Unipol Domus the hosts were awarded a second spot-kick.
Szczesny was the guilty party on this occasion after he brought down Zito Luvumbo and received a caution for his foul. Former Everton defender Mina stepped up and sent Szczesny the wrong way to spark jubilant celebrations in Sardinia.
Juventus did have the ball in the net before half-time, but Vlahovic’s tap-in was ruled out for offside and the deficit remained at two.
Kenan Yildiz was sent on by Allegri for the second half and the visitors did pull one back in the 61st minute.
Federico Chiesa and Vlahovic stood over a free-kick and the latter curled a delivery around the wall for his 17th goal of the season.
It provided hope for Juve and the next roll of the dice by Allegri was the introduce Weston McKennie and Arkadiusz Milik.
Juve upped the ante during the final exchanges but when Vlahovic volleyed over from close range, it looked like time might run out.
However, Allegri’s side found an equaliser with three minutes left when Dossena put the ball into his own net after a dangerous cross by Yildiz.
Yildiz almost produced a stoppage-time winner too but fired straight at Simone Scuffer late on as the points were shared.
Raith Rovers keep unlikely title bid alive with narrow victory at Inverness
Raith Rovers rode their luck to keep alive their slender cinch Championship title hopes with a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at third-bottom Inverness.
Caley Thistle, looking for a third successive win to further boost their survival push, hit the goal frame four times and saw visiting goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski produce a host of stunning saves.
But in the end it was Lewis Vaughan’s 49th-minute strike that settled the contest as Raith, who could have seen leaders Dundee United win the league on Saturday if they had lost at Caledonian Stadium, close the gap on the pacesetters to three points.
Duncan Ferguson’s Inverness created several good chances to take the lead in a one-sided first half, with Dabrowski keeping out Cammy Harper’s 25-yard free-kick before Alex Samuel was denied by a goalline block.
The hosts came even closer in the 21st minute when Harper fired against the bar and then saw Dabrowski fling up a leg and somehow manage to block his follow-up.
Rovers had done little to prove they were the team at the top end of the able in the first half but four minutes after the restart they took the lead, top scorer Vaughan getting on the end of a flick-on to coolly guide the ball past Mark Ridgers.
That proved to be the game’s decisive moment as the Raith goal continued to lead a charmed life, Samuel seeing a curling shot come back off the far post and the brilliant Dabrowski turned over a shot from the same player.
Inverness then hit the crossbar twice in quick succession, Danny Devine and James Carragher seeing headers come back off the goal frame, before Dabrowski tipped over a stoppage-time effort as Raith somehow held on for the three points.
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