Even by Florentino Pérez’s standards, this was remarkable self-interest. It was the 2020–21 Uefa Champions League quarter-final, and the Real Madrid president had a sense of urgency as he prepared to meet his counterparts at Liverpool. The two clubs were opponents for this tie but also partners in the European Super League project, which was at that point only days from launch.
The grand plan was for the wealthiest clubs to break away from the Champions League, and Pérez was eager to tell the world. He wanted to bring the announcement forward to Thursday after the second leg of the Real Madrid vs Liverpool tie. The problem was that date happened to be 15 April, so Liverpool were completely unwilling to launch. Pérez couldn’t understand why not. It was diplomatically explained to him that this was the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, a solemn day when Liverpool remembered the 97 supporters who lost their lives in a crush at a 1989 FA Cup match.
