Football’s European Super League is all but finished after the six English Premier League clubs involved in the breakaway competition turned their backs on the controversial tournament.
Amid furious backlash from fans and pundits around the globe, as well as criticism from players and coaches, Manchester City and Chelsea were the first clubs to back out of the ESL, before Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham followed suit on Wednesday morning (Australian time).
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin praised City’s move shortly after it was announced.
“I’m delighted to welcome City back to the European football family… It takes courage to admit a mistake but I never doubted they had the ability and common sense to make that decision. City are a real asset for the game,” he said in a statement.
The English FA also welcomed the news.
“English football has a proud history based on opportunity for all clubs and the game has been unanimous in its disapproval of a closed league,” it said in a statement.
While none of the remaining ‘founding clubs’ – Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus – have stated they will also be pulling out of the ESL, it’s nigh-on impossible to see the mooted competition continuing without the involvement of the English sides.
Manchester United and Liverpool, in particular, were reportedly amongst the strongest backers of the tournament, and Red Devils executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has announced he will step down at the end of 2021 after 16 years at the club in the wake of the ESL developments.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson posted a message on Twitter saying it was the players’ “collective position” that they were opposed to the tournament, and coach Jurgen Klopp had spoken out against the plans after the side’s 1-1 draw with Leeds on Tuesday morning.
In a statement, Manchester United said: “Manchester United will not be participating in the European Super League.
“We have listened carefully to the reaction from our fans, the UK government and other key stakeholders.
“We remain committed to working with others across the football community to come up with sustainable solutions to the long-term challenges facing the game.”
Liverpool released a brief statement announcing the club’s withdrawal while Arsenal did likewise.
“As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League,” the Gunners said in an open letter to fans.
“We made a mistake, and we apologise for it.”
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said he regretted the “anxiety and upset” caused as he confirmed the club had “formally commenced procedures to withdraw from the group developing proposals for a European Super League (ESL).”
With AP
The Ball Bobbled
Roar Rookie
Baddies? no mate - the losers
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Think you mean Arsenal...
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
I think the reports coming out of Europe today and in particular EUFA and the English FA, yes it is done with completely. The big clubs have always used the threat of a break away league to get what they wanted from the prizemoney and a watered down FFP. Now they have played that card, the break away league, and fallen flat on their face. UEFA and the other member FAs are no longer worried by it. They tried it and we have seen the outcome. I think a lot of those compromises will now be taken back, over time, and a far more equitable distribution of wealth will happen.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
@Mark - I think you should go back and reread what I actually wrote. Nowhere did I even suggest that either Real or Barca shouldn't be in the UCL, neither did I say they have breached UEFA's FFP regulations. What I did say was that they have 'Champagne diets on beer incomes'. I didn't mention what their income was, the inference was that they are spending more than they are earning. So regardless of what you earn, if you spend more you have to borrow to make ends meet. Their debt is hugh, Barca alone is somewhere around 400million, I don't have Real's current debt noted, but it was stated by the club to be ''substantial''. What I find interesting in the coming weeks will be the 'pay back' by all of their FAs. Just today it has been suggested that the UCL prize money formula may even go back to what it was in the 1990's. Which for some of our younger readers means that the money is spread more evenly amongst all participants. The English FA have already told the 14 non-aligned clubs to think about how their structure can change. It may well mean that the 'golden time' of the last 20 years may well be over and it will mean a fairer and more equal distribution of the wealth generated by the game. It could well end mean that the likes of what Leicester City did a few years back may now become more common place. IMO that would be a good thing. Wouldn't it be great to see Atalanta win Serie A or Villareal win the Li Lega, or Leeds winning the EPL. The times they are a changing.
mushi
Roar Guru
I remember way back when in my university days "regulatory risk". You have to be careful you don't push things so far the government doesn't just go: - fine no visa's for your players. - reclaim the stadiums as social infrastructure - have every player audited every year
Skoose
Roar Rookie
Totally agree
Skoose
Roar Rookie
Don’t forget the real big money earners.......football agents.
Bloke7
Roar Rookie
Love Perez's comment yesterday : “It cannot be that in England, the six lose money, and 14 make money. In Spain the top three lose money, and the others make money. It cannot continue - at the moment the rich are those who are losing money." Even a 4 year old can do a 'connect the dots' better than him.
Nick Symonds
Guest
'Are we the Baddies?' Mitchell and Webb Funny Nazi Scetch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn1VxaMEjRU
Guppy
Guest
Are we the baddies in that analogy? :laughing:
Megeng
Roar Rookie
Read and Reflect on this and think about Australian football (any code): "Football supporters are the heartbeat of our national sport and any major decisions made should have their backing. With many fans, we are concerned that this plan could create a closed shop at the very top of our national game.”
Mark
Guest
Real Madrid has been among the top 3 revenue earners in football every year for the last 15 years, and in most of those years the top revenue earner. Barcelona has also been in the top 3 for each of the last five years, and around it the ten years before that. So your comment that these clubs are living on beer incomes and can’t afford to be in the Champions League is plainly ridiculous. That said, Barcelona have wasted an exorbitant amount of money on transfer fees in recent years, while both spend an unsustainably high proportion of their revenue on wages. Those wages have become a noose around their necks as soon as COVID struck. Before that, Real were in total compliance with FFP, spending within their income. Barca were until last year, when they cooked the books with the Arthur/Pjanic swap to be technically compliant.
Blue Stephen
Guest
Great comment Rodger. Football is the world game and truly everyone's game. If the game is run properly it can be truly transformation. I agree its not the institutions at fault but the characters in charge. Sadly, as always its about money and greed. And your comment re racism is spot on. Children are born colour blind. It's us adults who teach them prejudice. Shame on us!
Homer Gain
Guest
As someone has pointed out, the 6th invite was purely intended to ensure that the breakaway group could block efforts to expel them from the Premier League (75% of clubs - ie 15 - were needed to vote in favour of expulsion). I suppose the only argument is to whether Spurs or Arsenal owed their inclusion to that that rather cynical manoeuvre.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
WOW ............ You have hit on a few points there that are just plain wishful thinking. Racism is a social problem and one that all of us have to work towards to eliminate. It is everywhere we look, in all forms. To try and stamp out racism from sport will take two generations, starting today. Remember racism is taught to kids by us elders, no child is born hating another because of their skin color. Stopping Racism starts with you & me. One question for you, how would you raise more money from the World Cup, without increasing the number of opportunities for others to be included? The concept of FIFA isn't a bad thing, but sometimes the wrong people find their way to the top and unless you are an extremely strong individual, with a strong moral fiber even you and I could find ourselves tested by the money and power involved. UEFA is also a much needed body, suggesting you just do away with them doesn't make much sense. You should understand why they exist and what they actually do. Running competitions is just one small responsibility they have, probably not their most important one but definitely the one us fans relate to. Dismantling of the whole football structure is not the answer, getting the right people in place to make better decisions, should be our goal. I'll be interested in your replies.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Ben, you are right. Their greed is/was driven by the fact that they have to remain viable to their fans. Real & Barca can not afford not to be in the UCL. Their debt is scary and sooner or later the 'piper will need to be paid'. Living within their means was what made UEFA introduce the FFP system, which really hasn't been successful as those clubs still have 'champagne diets on beer incomes'. This was a wake up call, or a call to arms for the fans, sponsors and governing bodies. What comes next will be even more interesting.
Neville Monkeyrod
Guest
These clubs aren't finished with this just yet. It's a retreat like Dunkirk, but the war is still on and the wealthy club owners will find a way to own the game in its entirety. Just wait and see.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Agreed, but maybe the problem goes deeper than that. Maybe the cost of doing business is too high?
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Love it.
JGK
Roar Guru
The Big 12 didn’t pull out of the ESL without getting done concessions from UEFA around the UCL, especially now that they’ll have to play 4 extra matches against dud opponents. Interestingly, English football plans aren’t complaining about that even though that will inevitably devalue the FA Cup and League Cup even more.