Soccer Football - Euro 2028 & Euro 2032 Hosts Announcement - Nyon, Switzerland - October 10, 2023 Paris St Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi before the announcement REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/ File photo
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Juventus are not interested in rejoining the European Club Association (ECA), the Italian outfit said on Thursday, after ECA chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi opened the door for their return.
Al-Khelaifi said on Thursday that the ECA would welcome Juventus back after the club signalled they will pull out of the European Super League project.
The ECA represents more than 440 clubs across the continent, although it is dominated by the big teams, including nine of the 12 initially involved in the planned breakaway Super League.
Juventus, however, said they were not looking to rejoin.
"Juventus FC is not assessing the possibility to rejoin ECA at the moment," the club's press office told Reuters in an email.
Juve, who along with Real Madrid and Barcelona have not rejoined the ECA after their exclusion in 2021, said in July they had initiated the procedure to pull out of the Super League project.
"If they stop what they are trying to fight for, which I think is a stupid project, they are always most welcome," Al-Khelaifi told reporters after an ECA board meeting in Copenhagen on Thursday.
"I spoke to the owner and, you know, he called me and I think they want to be back. They are definitely most welcome," Al-Khelaifi said.
Al-Khelaifi, who is also president of French champions Paris St Germain, took over as ECA chairman when former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, who had supported the idea of a European Super League, stepped down in 2021.
Agnelli and the Juve board resigned in November last year.
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; additional reporting by Anne Kauranen in Helsinki, Editing by Ken Ferris and Toby Davis)
