Super League failure means soccer wins: City captain

Manchester City's players put days of tumult over the proposed Super League behind them to beat Aston Villa and remain top of the Premier League on Wednesday, with club captain Fernandinho saying that soccer won out as the project quickly fell apart.

City were one of six English clubs involved in the ill-fated proposal which was announced on Sunday but foundered almost as quickly.

“It's been crazy since Saturday after the Chelsea defeat in the FA Cup. Guys were a bit down, and then on Monday the Super League comes out and we were surprised,” Brazilian Fernandinho told Sky Sports.

“We didn't expect it, but eventually they had good sense and it was the right thing to do. Everyone who loves football didn't support the Super League, including our players, so we're happy now that it's turned around, but it was a surprise,” he added.

Players and managers were seemingly left in the dark as plans were made for teams from England, Spain and Italy to create a new tournament to replace UEFA's Champions League with an eye to generating more revenue.

Many players took to social media on Tuesday evening to express their displeasure as pressure from fans mounted, prompting a U-turn from the English clubs.

“It's a tough situation. We wanted to find out from the people at the top of the club to see the reasons why they are there with the other clubs,” the 35-year-old Fernandinho said.

“We wanted to come out and say we are against it, but we had to have a chat among the players and we all agreed to wait for the club statement, we are happy in the end because football wins,” Fernandinho added.

INTER'S CONTE CRITICIZES SUPER LEAGUE AND UEFA

Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte criticized both the proposed Super League and UEFA, insisting you must earn your right to qualify for competitions, while questioning the use of funds by European soccer's governing body.

Serie A leaders Inter, who moved a step closer to their first league title in 11 years after a 1-1 draw at Spezia on Wednesday, were one of three Italian clubs who originally signed up for the 12-team breakaway league.

The proposal fell apart after an extraordinary few days, with Inter becoming the first Italian side to follow English Premier League participants in withdrawing from the project.

Conte did not like the idea that teams in the league would not have to qualify for European competition, but also questioned UEFA, who lobbied against the Super League proposal.

“The Champions League and the Europa League must be played by those who deserve it,” Conte said. “First of all, sport must always be meritocratic.

“But UEFA organizes all the competitions and reserves only a small part of the money to the clubs. The clubs must be rewarded more appropriately. UEFA does not invest anything, the clubs, yes.”

The Super League argued it would increase revenue for the top soccer clubs in Europe and allow them to distribute more money to the rest of the game.

However, UEFA, other teams and fan organizations said the league would only boost the power and wealth of elite clubs, and that the partly closed structure went against European soccer's long-standing model.

UEFA also said on Monday that it distributes “close to 90 per cent of all the revenues back to the game.”

PSG PRESIDENT NAMED NEW ECA CHAIRMAN

Paris St Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been elected chairman of the European Club Association, the body said on Wednesday, replacing Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli who quit on Sunday.

Agnelli resigned after Juventus joined 11 other clubs from England, Spain and Italy in forming a breakaway Super League which collapsed on Wednesday.