The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
English clubs stay silent over Super League
England’s top clubs have declined to comment on leaked documents which appear to reveal plans for the launch of a European Super League.
Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal were all named in the documents which were released by Football Leaks and published by German news magazine Der Spiegel.
The documents claim they are among 16 clubs who would leave their domestic competitions to play in the new league as early as 2021.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris StGermain and AC Milan are the other clubs listed, with five further clubs allegedly to be invited as ‘initial guests’.
City, United and Liverpool all declined to comment when contacted, while Chelsea did not immediately respond.
It is understood Arsenal would remain committed to the Premier League.
Bayern chairman KarlHeinz Rummenigge, who is also the chairman of the European Club Association, issued a statement rejecting the documents and stating his club is committed to playing in the Bundesliga.
“FC Bayern Munich stands by its membership of the Bundesliga and, as long as I am chairman of the board of FC Bayern, also by the club competitions organised jointly by Uefa and the ECA,” Rummenigge said.
Der Spiegel reported the most recent document was sent to Real Madrid on October 22, with a plan to finalise arrangements later this month.
According to the published documents, the 11 founders of the league would be immune from relegation with guaranteed membership for 20 years.
The five clubs in line to be invited to join as guests were named as Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, Inter Milan and Roma.
The story appeared yesterday alongside other documents which claimed Fifa president and then Uefa boss Gianni Infantino helped arrange more lenient punishments for City and Paris St-Germain when they were found to have breached Financial Fair Play rules in 2014.
A Manchester City statement said: “We will not be providing any comment on out of context materials purportedly hacked or stolen from City Football Group and Manchester City personnel and associated people.
“The attempt to damage the club’s reputation is organised and clear.”