Fans’ group criticises talk of new European Premier League

Reports of plans to launch a European Premier League involving Liverpool and Manchester United are “the last nail in the coffin of the idea that football can be relied upon to regulate itself ”, a leading fans’ group has said.

The Premier League giants are reportedly involved in talks over the creation of a new competition, which it is claimed has the backing of the s p o r t ’s wo r l d governing body Fifa.

The news comes just over a week after Project Big Picture proposals emerged, which were developed by Liverpool and Manchester United and publicly endorsed by EFL chairman Rick Parry.

The proposals were rejected at a Premier League clubs meeting last week, and described as “a distraction at best” by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden from the pressing need for the Premier League and EFL to agree a financial rescue package am id the coronavirus pandemic.

Kevin Miles, the chief executive of the Football Supporters’ Association, was scathing in his assessment.

“The latest reports of plots, allegedly involving Manchester United and Liverpool, to create a European Super League, expose the myth that billionaire owners care about the English football pyramid, or indeed anything other than own greed,” he said.

“This has to be the last nail in the coffin of the idea that football can be relied upon to regulate itself – these billionaire owners are out of control.

“Football in all its forms in the UK, from grassroots to the top tier, occup ies far too important a place in our society, our culture and our communities to be jeopardised by an even greater concentration of wealth in the hands of half a dozen big clubs.

“Decisive action is now needed to protect the game we love.

“We have already been promised by government a fan-led review of the go v e rn an c e and regulation of football – that process needs to star t as a matter of urgency before the superrich custodians of the biggest clubs can do any more damage.”

A Fifa spokesperson said in a statement to the PA news agency that it “does not wish to comment and participate in any speculation about topics which come up every now and then and, for which, institutional structures and regulatory frameworks are well in p lace at nat iona l , European and global level”.

Ma n c h e s t e r Un i t e d have so far declined to comment, while Uefa and Liverpool h av e been approached for a response. their