The European football frontrunner has been shattered since the six English Premier League clubs involved in the project retired 48 hours after agreeing to join Italian and Spanish teams in the controversial elite league.
After a storm of protests from fans, players, managers and governments, in addition to threats of bans and sanctions from the European and international governing bodies UEFA and FIFA, the English clubs threw in the towel on Tuesday.
Manchester City were the first to withdraw from the venture when Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea announced they were following suit.
The Super League issued a statement suggesting that while they may be suspending their project, they had not completely given up on it.
“Given the current circumstances, we will reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project, always keeping in mind our goals of giving fans the best possible experience while improving solidarity payments for the entire football community,” statement.
The Madrid-based organization said the England teams’ departure was due to “pressure” on them, saying they were “convinced that the current status quo of European football must change”.
The competition, announced on Sunday with 12 founding members, will be defended by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, the president of the new league. There are now three Italian clubs left – AC Milan, Juventus and Inter Milan – plus Perez’s Real Madrid, along with Barcelona and Spain’s Atletico Madrid.
Perez canceled a scheduled radio interview on Tuesday.
Expected more departures
Inter Milan seems likely to be next to leave, with Italian news agency ANSA citing a club source as saying, “The Super League project in its current state is no longer considered interesting by Inter”.
UEFA, whose elite Champions League competition was endangered by the proposed new competition, threatened to ban the clubs and players who joined the Super League.
However, its president Aleksander Ceferin had previously urged the English clubs to rethink and adopt a conciliatory tone.
“I said yesterday that it is admirable to admit a mistake and these clubs have made a big mistake,” he said after the English clubs announced their departure.
“But they are now back in the group and I know they have a lot to offer not only for our leagues, but for the whole European game.
“The important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that enjoyed the game before and move on together,” he said.
In addition to the drama, Ed Woodward, Executive Vice Chairman of Manchester United, announced his resignation shortly before his club gave up on a project in which he had been influential.
#SuperLeague is officially SUSPENDED 🚨🚫
– English clubs have left (also Chelsea, soon officially).
– Inter has left, AC Milan is leaving.
– Juventus and Spanish clubs: await official position.The whole #SuperLeague has stopped to “reshape the project”.
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 20, 2021
Reigning European champions Bayern Munich and French giants Paris Saint-Germain were vehemently against the leading group.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson tweeted a statement on behalf of the side, saying: “We don’t like it and we don’t want it to happen. This is our collective position. “
More money
The Super League had argued that it would increase the top clubs’ revenues and allow them to distribute more money across the rest of the game.
US investment bank JP Morgan was brought in to fund the new competition and provided a subsidy of EUR 3.5 billion ($ 4.21 billion) to the founding clubs to spend on infrastructure and restoring the effect of the COVID. 19 pandemic.
However, the sport’s governing bodies, other teams and fan organizations said the Super League would increase the power and wealth of the elite clubs and that the partially closed structure of the league was contrary to the time-honored model of European football.
Unlike the current top-level Champions League competition, where teams must qualify through their national league, the founding Super League teams would have guaranteed themselves a place in the new league every year.
Most English clubs made only brief statements, but Arsenal apologized to their fans for their involvement.
Brighton players wear UEFA Champions League and anti-European Super League T-shirts as they warm up for the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion in London on Tuesday [Neil Hall/AFP]
“It was never our intention to cause so much misery, but when the invitation to join the Super League came, although we knew there were no guarantees, we did not want to be left behind to make sure we get to Arsenal and its future. would protect.
“As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over the past few days, we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League. We made a mistake and we apologize for that, ”said the London club in an open letter to fans.
The magnitude of the split in the game and the strength of the sentiment it generated prompted political leaders across Europe to speak out and, in some cases, threaten to intervene.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his government would consider passing legislation to stop the escape, comparing the plans to creating a cartel.
The Premier League said it “unanimously and firmly” rejected the plans. After meeting with the 14 uninvolved clubs, it said it was considering “all available actions” to stop the new league.
“We have listened carefully to the response from our fans, the UK government and other key stakeholders,” Manchester United said in a statement.
“We remain committed to working with others in the football community to come up with sustainable solutions to the long-term challenges facing the game.”