Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said on Tuesday that plans by 12 clubs including the Spanish giants to form a European Super League (ESL) were made to save football.

On Monday, six Premier League teams — Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur — joined forces with Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and Italian trio Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan to launch ESL.

“Football has to keep changing and adapting to the times. Football is losing interest. Something must be done,” said Perez

“Football is the only sport that is global. Television has to change to adapt to the times. We have to think about why 16-24 year-olds are no longer interested in the global sport.

“A group of clubs from some European countries want to do something to make this sport more attractive worldwide,” Perez, who has been named ESL president