KICKING OF
Football clubs pull out of European Super League after protests from fans
Agroup of 12 European football clubs, including six from England, have suspended plans for a new competition, following protests by fans.
What happened?
On 18 April, leading English football clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur announced that they were joining up with six clubs from across Europe to create a new competition called the European Super League (ESL). The other six clubs were from Spain (Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid) and Italy (AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus).
How would the ESL have worked?
The ESL was going to be made up of 20 men’s teams, split into two groups of 10. After playing each other home and away, the top teams from each group would progress to a knockout phase. The 15 founder members of the ESL – which included the 12 clubs already mentioned and another three that were yet to be decided – could never be relegated (moved to a lower league). Another five clubs could have qualified for the ESL each year, depending on their achievements in the previous season. The clubs wanted the ESL games to take place midweek and run alongside their national leagues, such as the English Premier League.
Why did the clubs want a new tournament?
The 12 clubs said they were unhappy with the way that existing European club competitions are being organised. UEFA, the organisation in charge of European football, announced a new format for its Champions League tournament on 19 April. The Champions League is a competition for Europe’s top football clubs. The president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, said the ESL would “save football” and make young people more interested in the game. Critics say that the clubs were being greedy and did this to make more money by getting rid of competition.
How did fans and players respond?
Angrily. Fans said the clubs were being selfish and it was unfair that they could never be relegated from the ESL. They believe this goes against the spirit and tradition of football. They were also upset that they hadn’t been consulted. On 19 April, before a Premier League match between Leeds and Liverpool, fans gathered to protest. More protests took place before Chelsea’s match against Brighton on 20 April – fans blocked the team bus from entering the stadium. Players and managers from some of the clubs involved with the ESL spoke out against it, including the Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp. A group of Liverpool players posted a message on social media saying, “We don’t like it and we don’t want it to happen”.
When did clubs withdraw?
By 20 April, all six English clubs involved with the ESL said they would be withdrawing from the competition. Arsenal wrote a letter to their fans, saying, “We made a mistake and we apologise for it.” The owner of Liverpool, John W. Henry, released a video apologising to fans and said, “I’ve let you down.”