FOOTY FARCE
Fans’ fury as Big Six sign up to breakaway European Super League including Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea
THE Premier League’s Big Six were warned they could be BANNED from football for agreeing to join a European Super League.
Prem chiefs are furious at the Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham for pressing ahead with the £4.6BILLION breakaway plan, which was confirmed last night.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson slammed the move, which plunged football into the biggest crisis it has faced this century outside of the Covid-19 pandemic — with the FA and Uefa threatening legal action.
Johnson claimed he would ensure the new league does NOT go ahead as the front pages in Europe's biggest papers hit out at the plans.
The Real Madrid-led, 12-club rebels broke cover on the eve of Uefa’s planned confirmation of its own plans for a revamp of the Champions League today.
And a UEFA committee member says semi-finalists Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid could be kicked out of this season's Champions League.
Jesper Moller, head of the Danish FA, told broadcaster DR: "The clubs must go, and I expect that to happen on Friday. Then we have to find out how to finish (this season's) Champions League tournament.
"There is an extraordinary executive committee meeting on Friday."
Spanish giants Real, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid — plus Italian trio Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan — make up the group.
They make up 12 of what will be 15 founding clubs, who cannot be relegated from the closed-shop elite - with Borussia Dortmund REJECTING the opportunity to join.
Five clubs will be entitled to qualify every year, with the season running from August to May.
All matches will be played in midweek slots, with the clubs insistent they will be able to continue to play in their domestic leagues and “preserve the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game”.
But a damning statement from the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A claimed any club taking part would be "banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level."
The 20 clubs will be split into two groups of 10, playing 18 games - nine home and nine away - with the top three in each group qualifying automatically for the last eight knock-out stage.
Teams finishing fourth and fifth in each group will then play off to fill the final two knock-out slots, with the ties played over two legs apart from a one-off final “which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue”.
Man Utd chairman Joel Glazer said: "By bringing together the world's greatest clubs and players to play each other throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring the world-class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider football pyramid."
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Real Madrid president Florentino Perez added: "We will help football at every level and take it to it's rightful place in the world.
"Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires."
Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham resigned from the European Club Association following the revelation of a Super League proposal, joining AC Milan and Inter Milan in doing so.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson led the opposition, saying: "Plans for a European Super League would be very damaging for football and we support football authorities in taking action.
"They would strike at the heart of the domestic game, and will concern fans across the country.
"The clubs involved must answer to their fans and the wider footballing community before taking any further steps."
And the Duke of Cambridge said in a statement: "Now, more than ever, we must protect the entire football community – from the top level to the grassroots – and the values of competition and fairness at its core.
"I share the concerns of fans about the proposed Super League and the damage it risks causing to the game we love."
A fuming Gary Neville slammed the 'criminal' behaviour of clubs involved saying he was 'disgusted' and calling for them to be RELEGATED, stripped of their titles and incur massive fines.
Neville blasted the owners of the Big Six, labelling them 'imposters' and 'bottle merchants' and said fans need to be protected from the greedy power grab.
While ex-United star Rio Ferdinand raged: “This is a war on football — a disgrace.
"It’s a closed shop for bigwigs, The rich getting richer and the rest not even being considered.”
Jamie Carragher took aim at former club Liverpool saying he was 'sickened', calling the Reds an 'embarrassment'.
He was joined by Liverpool fans who hung banners around Anfield in protest, one of which read 'Shame On You'.
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A Prem statement read: “A European Super League will undermine the appeal of the whole game.
"It will have a deeply damaging impact on prospects of the Premier League and all those who rely on our funding and solidarity to prosper.
"We will work with fans, the FA, EFL, PFA and LMA, as well as other stakeholders, at home and abroad, to defend the integrity of English football.
The Premier League added: “This attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart of domestic and European football.
“Fans of any club in England and across Europe can currently dream that their team may climb to the top and play against the best.
“We believe the European Super League would destroy this dream."
The European Club Association, officially led by Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, held a summit in response to the breakaway, confirming the plan “would be strongly opposed” and backing the Uefa proposals.
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Neither Agnelli, nor representatives of the other 11 rebels even attended, with the Italian stripped of his position.
Agnelli instead appeared in the official statement announcing the league late on Sunday night.
The plans, pushed by Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and AC Milan, are backed by the financial muscle of US investment giant JP Morgan.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs have signed up despite reservations as they do not want to be left behind by a breakaway.
But the move will cause deep anger among the other top flight clubs as well as Premier League and Uefa chiefs.
And it could see players at the rebel clubs banned from future World Cup and European Championship Finals after Uefa and Fifa threatened to stand firm against any breakaway.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta refused to give much away after his side's 1-1 draw against Fulham, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was similarly non-committal following United's 3-1 win over Burnley at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Arteta said: "I don't know anything about it. Once I know every detail and have all the information then I can evaluate the situation and give you my opinion."
Solskjaer commented: "I've seen this morning the news and speculation. I can't really say too much because my focus has been on this game."
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Fans, pundits and players alike reacted in anger at the proposal, with social media awash with frustration.
Ex-Man Utd ace Ander Herrera tweeted: "I fell in love with popular football, with the football of the fans, with the dream of seeing the team of my heart compete against the greatest.
"If this European Super League advances, those dreams are over."
Simon Jordan told talkSPORT: "It’s wrong & needs to be stopped.
“There’s no more loyalty & decency in football, it’s all about money.
“This is about Americans controlling the world series of football.”
Ex-Arsenal ace Mesut Ozil tweeted: "Kids grow up dreaming to win the World Cup and the Champions League - not any Super League.
"The enjoyment of big games is that they only happen once or twice a year, not every week.
"Really hard to understand for all football fans out there..."
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Arsene Wenger told : “I would say that’s a bad idea. Football has to stay united, it’s the most important thing.
“It’s based on sporting merit and overall to respect the history that has been built from European football.
“I believe, personally, that this idea will not go far.
“I don’t know what exactly is behind (it). There is a more dangerous idea behind it and it’s a big threat for the Premier League.
“When I was still in charge it was a lot going on from other countries to diminish the dominance of the Premier League and a project like that would certainly accelerate that.”
Gunners legend Ian Wright called the idea 'shameful', while Southampton boss Ralph Hasnehuttl described it as a 'threat'.
Continuing his stand against the tournament, PM Johnson added: “I don’t think that it’s good news for fans, I don’t think it’s good news for football in this country.”
Even broadcasters BT Sport - who show the Champions League - got in on the act, calling it potentially 'damaging', saying football must be 'protected'.
And they were joined by tens of thousands of furious fans slamming the proposal.
Clubs joining the proposed Super League could earn up to £310m as an initial “golden hello” plus a minimum £130m each season from their share of a £3.1billion total pot.
"I haven't looked into it, I've just been focused on this game so I need to sit down and see what it is."
SunSport revealed on Friday that Real President Florentino Perez was leading a last-gasp bid to revive the breakaway ahead of Monday's meeting of Uefa’s ruling executive committee which is due to green light the move to a 36-team competition from 2024.
But while some initial approaches to clubs including Bayern Munich and PSG were rebuffed, Perez found willing ears at Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
And in Italy, Juventus President Andrea Agnelli, a member of the Uefa executive as his role as head of the European Club Association, agreed to go along with the Super League plan alongside the two Milan giants.
That gave Perez a starting group of 12, enabling the rebels to be in a position to make their play.
The news caused consternation and disquiet at Uefa headquarters in Nyon.
Euro chiefs had been celebrating an agreement to back the revamp reached by the club competitions committee - which includes United’s Ed Woodward, Ferran Soriano of City, Barcelona and AC Milan.
Behind the scenes, though, the rebel group, led by Perez, Liverpool owner John Henry and United’s Glazer, were pushing through their steps to undermine Uefa’s move.
And when Agnelli, who had previously described the Uefa plans as “ideal” and “beautiful”, suddenly jumped ship - much to the disbelief of fellow ECA members - it allowed the rebels to make their play.
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Uefa is understood to still be going ahead with its proposals despite the latest developments.
Prem clubs left behind are likely to be incandescent, pointing to the unanimous statement by all 20 top flight outfits - including the Big Six - condemning the Project big Picture proposals in October.
League chief executive Richard Masters also slammed the Super League idea as “destructive to the value of domestic football”, with English clubs clubs fearing the new self-elected elite will take the lion’s share of broadcast and sponsorship income to the detriment of the Prem.
But it appears that the fear of missing out, more than any great backing for the concept, has led Arsenal, Chelsea, City and Spurs to nail their colours to the Madrid, Merseyside and Old Trafford-led mast.
On Sunday, Uefa, the English Football Association, the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), LaLiga, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A released a joint statement.
It reads: "Uefa, the English Football Association and the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A have learned that a few English, Spanish and Italian clubs may be planning to announce their creation of a closed, so-called Super League.
"If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we – Uefa, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also Fifa and all our member associations - will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.
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"We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening.
"Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.
"As previously announced by Fifa and the six Federations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.
"We thank those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up to this.
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"We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced.
"This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough."
Boris Johnson hits out at plans for breakaway Super League European football competition
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