The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Super League near collapse as six English clubs withdraw
All six English clubs dramatically abandoned plans to join a European Super League on Tuesday, imploding the breakaway project with Spanish and Italian counterparts within 48 hours of the announcement.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham deserted the plans for a largely closed midweek competition amid an escalating backlash from their supporters and warnings from government that legislation could be introduced to thwart them.
The Super League project was overseen by Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, who also signed up Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in Spain, and Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan from Italy. While the continental six were yet to formally announce the Super League was being ditched late Tuesday, it became unviable without the Premier League clubs. The English heeded appeals from UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin to stay with the existing Champions League.
“I said yesterday that it is admirable to admit a mistake and these clubs made a big mistake,” he said. “But they are back in the fold now and I know they have a lot to offer not just to our competitions but to the whole of the European game. The important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that the game enjoyed before this and move forward together.”
As it became clear Chelsea and City were quitting the Super League on Tuesday evening, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and his teammates posted a message advocating staying within the open European competitions. Liverpool, which is owned by the Boston Red Sox investment group, eventually issued a statement thanking those inside and outside the club for “valuable contributions” before making the decision to stick within existing structures.
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw also went against his club by tweeting his backing of the existing Champions League minutes before his club’s aboutturn.
Just as the Glazers also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Stan Kroenke has the NFL’S Los Angeles Rams in his portfolio along with Arsenal. It is the closed models of American sports that were believed to be so appealing to the U.S. owners by offering financial certainty. But they were resisted by fans of English clubs.
The Premier League threatened to sanction the six rebel clubs and Prime Minister Boris Johnson considered introducing laws to stop them forming a new European competition he called a “cartel.” Divisions within the Super League clubs also grew with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola saying the Super League would damage the integrity and values of sport. Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has also expressed concerns about the actions of his club’s owners.
The Premier League had threatened the six Super League clubs with expulsion if they tried to go it alone in Europe. The other 14 clubs met on Tuesday and “unanimously and vigorously” rejected the Super League plans.