GREED ‘EM &WEEP
Fans call elite clubs’ bluff in poker game and force ESL rebels to fold
FOOTBALL welcomed an outbreak of common sense as controversial plans for a European Super League crumbled last night.
In a pitiful race to save an ounce of credibility, Chelsea managed to get their grubby noses to the finishing line first by deciding to withdraw from a proposal that had sent the sport into meltdown. If you ever wondered what the Roman did for us, then wonder no more. In a break with recent tradition, Russian oligarch and Blues owner Roman Abramovich instructed his club to develop a conscience and become the first English club to pull out of the ESL. It came after two days of protests across the country and the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust said: “This is a victory for the supporters. We did this together. “We shouted and they had to listen. The position of a number of the CFC board is now untenable and we’ll continue to push for what is right.” Chelsea’s withdrawal proved to be a seismic moment because in this sporting edition of a House of Cards, a few more jokers appeared behind him in the desperate scramble to beat the attempted rush towards what will now be a long, long road to redemption.
Hot on their heels, in third place behind Atletico Madrid who confirmed they were also rats jumping from a sinking ship, were a certain Manchester City. Just hours after Pep Guardiola had criticised his own club’s plan to join the ESL and urged his bosses to come clean about their role in the proposal, the Premier League champions-in-waiting started preparing to plunge overboard.
Earlier that morning the club’s media department had denied rumours City were having second thoughts about remaining part of the dirty dozen wanting to press ahead with plans to trample on the history, integrity and tradition of the beautiful game.
But considering how this sorry tale of utter selfishness and greed has played out over the last 72 hours, it was almost impossible to know what to believe.
Guardiola had said earlier in the day the principle behind the ESL – where 12 founding members are guaranteed their place every year – was an affront to the principles of sport.
He said: “It’s not a sport where the relation between the effort and the success, the effort and the reward, does not exist. It’s not a sport when success is already guaranteed and it’s not a sport when it doesn’t matter if you lose.
“It’s not fair when one team fights and arrives at the top and cannot qualify.
“This is not sport. I support my club and I am part of the club but also I have my own opinion.”
Kevin De Bruyne, City’s shining light within the increasing forces of darkness on his own doorstep and arguably the best player in the world, posted a
message on social media that rammed home just how wrong his employers had been to contemplate being part of such a grotesque notion. The Belgian said: “We know this is a big business and I’m part of that big business.
“But I am still a little by who just loves to play football. Its not about a certain entity in this case, it’s about football all over the world. Let’s keep inspiring the next generation of footballers and keep the fans dreaming.”
Everton also accused the English rebels of “preposterous arrogance” by “betraying” fans around the country. And former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers told the big guns to remember where their success was born.
The Leicester boss said: “The roots of their success are based around the other teams because of the competition, the bottom team can beat the top team.”
The most high-profile victim on a night of footballing Armageddon was Manchester United’s Ed Woodward. Their executive vice-chairman has been one of the most influential movers and shakers. However, in a shock development, it emerged he was quitting. United attempted to claim it had always been Woodward’s plan to step aside at the end of 2021 but there was no escaping the truth that the best mate of club co-owner Joel Glazer, self-appointed vice-president of the ESL, had fallen on his own sword. Few will shed a tear. Woodward and his European cabal read the room with a blindfold on and their plotting and scheming has now been exposed for what it is. Utter greed. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin had earlier ramped up his war on the dirty dozen, name-checking Celtic and Rangers in his latest salvo. Speaking at UEFA’s Congress, Ceferin said: “UEFA competitions need Atalanta, Celtic, Rangers, Dinamo Zagreb and Galatasaray. “People need to know everyone has a chance. We need to keep the dream alive.” He was backed up by legendary France striker Jean-Pierre Papin, who said: “The magic of the European Cup or Champions League is playing against the Scots, Russians or Finns.”
It is not a sport if one team fights, arrives at the top and cannot qualify PEP GUARDIOLA