GROTESQUE CONCEPT!
Villa chief blasts collapsed breakaway plan
VILLA chief executive Christian Purslow branded the chaotic and now-collapsed plans for a European Super League as ‘grotesque’.
It was revealed on Sunday night that 12 leading European clubs, including the Premier League’s ‘big six’, had agreed to join the new league – but all six have now U-turned and pulled out of the breakaway competition.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham were the English clubs originally involved in the plans, which were widely condemned by supporters, footballing authorities, the Government and other Premier League clubs.
Under the proposals, there would have been no relegation from the Super League and for the clubs who qualify through their domestic league, no guarantee they would have been able to take part the following season.
Aston Villa were one of the 14 sides not involved in the Super League to take part in an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the proposals after chief executive Christian Purslow was one of the first top-flight figures to speak out about the plans the day before.
A statement issued by the Premier League after that meeting said the clubs “unanimously and vigorously rejected” the plans and the league was “considering all actions available to prevent it [ESL] from progressing”.
Then, Villa head coach Dean Smith launched an impassioned plea for the new competition to be scrapped.
Villa also issued a strong statement condemning the proposals.
“We are not standing idly by allowing the dreams of Aston Villa fans to be taken away by this sinister scheme,” part of it said.
And Purslow said on Monday: “The scheme is designed to take away that uncertainty (relegation) and to give predictability to their businesses so that if they’re badly managed or have a poor year, they’re still in the premier tournament. Does that sound like sport or football to you? To me it sounds like a grotesque concept.”
Clubs like Villa were watching with interest as such a move would have had serious ramifications for sides pushing for European qualification. Even before the Big Six backtracked under pressure, Purslow believed the plans could be stopped if football’s governing bodies come together in opposing them.
“It would be extraordinarily difficult for this to fly if the core football authorities of FIFA, UEFA and Premier League were so adamantly against it,” he added.
Purslow’s comments echoed those he made in March, when there were proposals from the European Clubs Association, which includes the likes of Liverpool and United, to expand the Champions League, which could see clubs lifted into the competition on the basis of historic performance.
“Aston Villa are one-time winners of the pinnacle of European football, the European Cup,” he said at the time. “English and European football has always been about living the dream. Beating big teams, climbing up the ladder, entering European football is what in sporting terms that dream is all about.”