European Super League clubs ready for talks with domestic leagues and UEFA

The 12 rebel clubs planning to establish a European Super League (ESL) are “ready for dialogue” with domestic leagues and UEFA, sources told ESPN.

With widespread hostility and opposition to the ESL proposal announced from football on Sunday and also from political leaders such as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron, the leading figures within the breakaway cabal accept the need for a high level. talks to explain their plans.

UEFA chairman Aleksander Ceferin described the group’s leaders as’ snakes’ during an explosive press conference on Monday, in which he also said the proposals, involving Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and others, were a ‘spit in the face of it were football. loved ones. “

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, the chairman of the ESL group, responded by saying that football “needs to change and adapt” while renouncing Ceferin’s threat of banning rebel clubs from UEFA competitions.

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A meeting of the 14 Premier League clubs not involved in the proposal – the ESL plan includes Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham – was held Tuesday in an attempt to agree on a strategy to fight the initiative.

A statement after the meeting read: “The Premier League, along with the FA, met with clubs today to discuss the immediate implications of the Super League proposal.

The 14 clubs at the meeting unanimously and forcefully rejected the plans for the competition. The Premier League is considering all available actions to prevent progress, as well as holding affected Shareholders accountable by its rules.

The League will continue to work with key stakeholders, including fan groups, the government, UEFA, the FA, EFL, PFA and LMA, to protect the interests of the game and calls on the clubs involved in the proposed competition to immediately stop their participation.

“The Premier League would like to thank fans and all stakeholders for the support they have shown this week on this important issue. The response proves how much our open pyramid and football community means to people.”

Anger over the escape plan has remained intense with fans burning a Liverpool shirt ahead of Monday’s game against Leeds United at Elland Road, and key ESL figures believe talks could water down and lead to a better understanding of the proposals, said sources.

Sources told ESPN that at Tuesday’s Premier League meeting there was widespread anger over the behavior of the six absent clubs, as well as an acknowledgment that a dialogue must be held to bring them back to the negotiating table.

Several clubs expressed their agreement to the threat of severe sanctions in an attempt to make those who did not attend realize the seriousness of their actions, sources added.

Under the ESL plan, an annual solidarity payment of € 160 million would be paid to the Premier League clubs to ensure that the money generated by the new league would seep into the domestic game.

ESL leaders are determined to voice their vision of staying in the domestic leagues while only playing in a Super League midweek.

However, opposition to the proposals remains strong, with national leagues and associations united in their determination to block any escape competition.

Information from ESPN’s James Olley was used in this report

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