Liverpool and Manchester United have been accused of being the 'real founders' of the European Super League

Barcelona president Joan Laporta says the Premier League giants were the brains behind a plot which would put an end to football as we know it.

The wily Spanish politician claims United's owners the Glazer family and Liverpool's John W Henry were working in tandem with Juventus president Andrea Agnelli plus Real Madrid supremo Florentino Perez on plans to create 'the most attractive competition in the world'.

In an interview with Spanish outlet La Vanguardia, Laporta said: "Liverpool and United were the real founders of the Super League. UEFA threatened and was demagogic. The clubs have still not paid the compensation for leaving.

"The Super League project is alive. It will be the most attractive competition in the world, and it will be based on meritocracy and solidarity."

GIVEMESPORT first revealed plans for a breakaway European Super League were in place in April amid reports that the Big Six would receive £310m each in an invitation to join the world's most exclusive private members club.

However, these plans were soon curtailed following a public backlash, as the six Premier League clubs involved walked away from the deal only two days after it was announced.

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Laporta, who was re-elected president of Barcelona for the second time in March, also admitted that the Catalan club is facing serious financial difficulties, which he says will not be easy to fix.

"The club is worse than I expected, and I expected it to be in a difficult situation," he added. "There are some contracts that greatly limit us. There are things that will have to be explained and I won't rule out any measures.

"Everything will be explained, because otherwise we would be accomplices. The same people always appear in the contracts.

"We have found ourselves with a squad with out-of-date salaries and we will have to juggle.

"Existing contracts can be changed or restructured, and then there are drastic measures that we would like not to have to take. Nothing is ruled out for the good of Barcelona.

"Between salaries and amortisations we have a figure of 650 million, which is more than the club's income. These salaries are out of date."

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi's future is also still to be resolved despite having just days left on his Nou Camp contract. 

However, Laporta hasn't given up hope of persuading his star player to stay at his boyhood club.

He continued: "I would like Messi to say yes as soon as possible, it would help us in every way.

"We are in communication, day in and day out. He's excited and I'm grateful for the desire he's showing to stay."

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