Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said that the new European Super League has been designed to  “save football at this critical moment”.

The 74-year-old has been appointed as president of the Super League, along with fellow LaLiga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham, and Serie A trio Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan, Real is one of 12 clubs announced on Sunday as founder members of new midweek competition that they intend to commence as soon as possible.

Speaking for the first time since the announcement, the chairman of the European Super League said football needed to evolve.

“Whenever there is a change, there are always people who oppose it. We are doing this to save football at this critical moment,” Perez said on the Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones.

“Audiences are decreasing and rights are decreasing and something had to be done. We are all ruined. Television has to change so we can adapt.

“Young people are no longer interested in football. Why not? Because there are a lot of poor quality games and they are not interested, they have other platforms on which to distract themselves.”

Real Madrid are joined in the competition, which could start as early as August, by La Liga rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, as well as Premier League clubs Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham.

“If we continue with the Champions League there is less and less interest and then it’s over,” he said. The new format, which starts in 2024 is absurd. In 2024 we are all dead.

“Together we have lost €5billion,” he said of the top clubs’ alleged losses. “In two seasons Madrid has lost €400m.

“When you have no income other than television, you say that the solution is to make more attractive matches that fans from all over the world can see with all the big clubs, and we came to the conclusion that if instead of having a Champions League we have a Super League we would be able to alleviate what we have lost.”

“The players can remain absolutely calm because that’s not going to happen. Very calm, that’s not going to happen,” Perez said.

According to UEFA executive committee member Jesper Moller, breakaway clubs Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Chelsea could also be banned from this season’s Champions League semi-finals.

Asked if Real will be kicked out of the competition, Perez added: “No, they won’t be expelled from Champions (League), that’s for sure.

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“Real Madrid won’t be, (Manchester) City won’t be, none of them will be expelled, that’s for sure. I’m completely sure of it. Not from Champions (League), not from La Liga, nothing like that.”

“If we reach an agreement with UEFA we want to start (the new league) in August, if not, we can wait a year.”