Plans for a European Super League fell apart on Tuesday, just two days after the proposed football competition was announced.
How it went: Manchester City, one of six English Premier League clubs to join the 12-team breakaway, was the first to confirm it was out.
- Within hours, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool announced that they too were running away.
- Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid followed suit, leaving the remaining clubs – Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan – with little choice but to abandon the proposal.
- Just after midnight in Europe, the Super League released an official statement confirming that the project had been shelved.
What they say:
- Arsenal: “We made a mistake and we apologize for it.”
- Tottenham: “We regret the concern and confusion caused by the ESL proposal.”
- Manchester United: “We have listened carefully to the response from our fans, the UK government and other key stakeholders.”
- Liverpool: “I would like to apologize to all of the Liverpool Football Club fans and supporters for the outage I caused over the past 48 hours,” owner John Henry said in a video address.
The state of affairs: The Super League, which is said to have disrupted football’s structures and economy, was met with anger. Players spoke out fans launched protests and politicians threatened legal action.
- FIFA and UEFA, which oversee football in Europe, threatened to ban Super League players from global events such as the World Cup. “Either you’re in or you’re gone,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
- The Super League has failed itself with its shockingly poor launch strategy. Outside of Real Madrid’s Florentino Pérez, the owners have never seen the press, and the lack of planning is truly remarkable.
- Note to yourself: When unveiling a proposal to reimagine the world’s hottest sport, be equipped with more than one press release.
What’s next: A plan years in the making collapsed spectacularly in two days. What now?
- There is a sense that the Premier League could be damaged beyond repair. “How can we ever work with these people again?” a source told The Athletic (subscription).
- And if the clubs have really signed binding 23-year agreements, as reported, can they just pull out or is it more complicated? Will UEFA welcome them back? Will their national leagues punish them?