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(Image: isle_of_man_united_live_pool_chelsea) Liverpool, among others, own left hand the projected European Fantastic League undertaking.
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Before this week, 12 of the biggest clubs in planetary association football announced plans to set up a European Crack League. Days later, VII of those clubs wealthy person recluse and counting, thanks to an overpoweringly negative response from clean bodies, government, players and – just about significantly – fans. About are mobilized against a conference they aver is anti-competition, anti-association football and driven only by avarice. The European Fantastic League as a conception may not live by the stop of the hebdomad.
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The negativism was a engineer answer to a league that had the electric potential to wreak havoc on the traditional structures of European soccer, made up of housing leagues like the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A. The European Fantastic League was designed to protect up to 15 introduction members – the to the highest degree sinewy teams crosswise Europe's virtually mighty domestic leagues – from the relegation/forwarding pyramid structure that anchors entirely of European soccer. A body structure that goes all the fashion from the lowest levels of domestic help soccer, altogether the fashion through with to the Champions League, the biggest lever in nightclub soccer.
Tangible Spanish capital Chair Florentino Perez was named as the first chairman of the European Ace League. It was his intent, he stated, to strong the future of soccer, not undermine it.
“We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world,” Perez said in a assertion Sunday. “Football is the only global sport in the world with more than 4 billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”
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Simply in the ignite of the initial announcement, UEFA and FIFA – which runs the existent Champions Conference contest and the Public Cup severally – threatened clubs and players participating in the European A-one League with removal from completely other competitions, including the Earthly concern Cup.
“I cannot stress more strongly how everyone is united against these disgraceful, self-serving proposals, fuelled by greed above all else,” UEFA President of the United States Aleksander Ceferin said at a bid conference Monday, as reported by the BBC. “Players who will play in the teams that might play in the closed league will be banned from the World Cup and Euros.”
“This idea is a spit in the face of all football lovers. We will not allow them to take it away from us.”
Here's everything you demand to know virtually the European Tiptop League. Which teams were fetching division in the European Fantastic Conference? Hexad teams from the European country Premiere League, triplet from La Liga and trio clubs from Serie A altogether initially sign up, qualification for 12 clubs. In the heat of winnow outrage, terminated one-half of these clubs feature recluse.
The master heel of the founding clubs was as follows… Manchester UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityArsenalChelsea Tottenham HotspurBarcelonaExistent MadridAtlético MadridJuventusAC MilanLay to rest Milan Where are teams from the French people and European country leagues? Teams equal Bayern Muenchen from FRG and City of Light Saint-Germain from Anatole France are beyond question among the biggest and scoop teams in European Community. Bayern and its German competition Borussia Dortmund announced Monday they are committed to the existent Champions League, which unveiled reforms Monday for the 2024 season. PSG is owned by the swayer kinsfolk of Qatar, which is holding the side by side Creation Cupful and hence unbelievable to go against the soccer organisation.
Following backfire in reception to the announcement, totally Prime Conference teams have announced plans to free fall kayoed. Manchester City has confirmed it has "formally enacted the procedures to withdraw from the chemical group underdeveloped plans for a European Tiptop League,“ with Chelsea to reportedly follow suit.
Manchester United's controversial executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has also announced his resignation following the backlash. Manchester United has also officially dropped out of the European Super League.
We will not be participating in the European Super League.[[|#MUFC]]
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 20, 2021
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Liverpool also stated that its “liaison in proposed plans to work a European Tops Conference has been discontinued.”
Liverpool Football Club can confirm that our involvement in proposed plans to form a European Super League has been discontinued.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 20, 2021
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Arsenal and Spurs have both officially announced they're leaving.
We can confirm that we have formally commenced procedures to withdraw from the group developing proposals for a European Super League (ESL).[[|#THFC]] ⚪️ [[|#COYS]]
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 20, 2021
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As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League.
We made a mistake, and we apologise for it. — Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 20, 2021
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“We rue the anxiety and tip over caused by the ESL proposal,” said Daniel Levy, chairman of Tottenham Hotspur. “We matte up it was of import that our social club participated in the evolution of a potential unexampled body structure that sought-after to ameliorate insure financial comely encounter and financial sustainability whilst delivering importantly increased hold for the wider football game Pyramids of Egypt.”
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson commented on the decision of English clubs to withdraw from the league.
The decision by Chelsea and Manchester City is - if confirmed - absolutely the right one and I commend them for it.
I hope the other clubs involved in the European Super League will follow their lead. — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 20, 2021
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“The decision by Chelsea and Manchester City is – if inveterate – utterly the suitable unmatchable and I recommend them for it,” he tweeted. “I trust the former clubs tangled in the European A-one League wish play along their contribute.”
Inter Milan has also become the first non-English team to officially remove itself from the European Super League.
BREAKING. Inter Milan abandons the SuperLeague project as well. It's the 7th team to make it official. (ANSA agency)[[|#ESL]]
— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) April 20, 2021
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In response, an official statement from the European Super League was sent out.
“The European Crack Conference is convinced that the stream condition quo of European football of necessity to change,” read the statement.
“We are proposing a young European competition because the existing organization does non body of work.
“Our proposal is aimed at allowing the sport to evolve while generating resources and stability for the full football pyramid, including helping to overcome the financial difficulties experienced by the entire football community as a result of the pandemic.
“Precondition the flow circumstances, we shall reconsider the near allow steps to remold the project, e'er having in intellect our goals of offer fans the better experience possible piece enhancing solidarity payments for the stallion football community of interests.” How would the European Super League work? According to original plans, the new competition was to feature 20 clubs made up of 15 founding clubs, with an option for five further clubs to qualify based on previous seasons' achievements. (The details were currently murky on what those “achievements” actually mean.)
Each team was to continue to take part in domestic leagues, with European Super League matches taking place midweek. Two groups of 10 would take part in home and away matches, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for a knockout stage. Teams who placed fourth and fifth in each league would compete in a two-leg match to see who qualifies for knockout stages.
Then, those remaining eight teams were set to take part in two-leg knockout format to reach a single final, which would take place at a neutral stadium. A women's version of this league was also apparently in the works.
At least, that's how the founding teams hope things would work. Both UEFA and FIFA came out against the league. FIFA backed UEFA, which means participating players may potentially be banned from representing their countries at this summer's European Championships and next year's World Cup, competitions run by those international bodies.
“If this were to happen, we regard to iterate that we – UEFA, the Side FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premiere League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and whole our appendage associations – volition persist conjunct in our efforts to quit this cynical project, a jut out that is based on the self-interest of a few clubs at a metre when order necessarily solidarity Thomas More than ever,” UEFA said in a statement.
“We volition take totally measures available to us, at altogether levels, both discriminative and sporty in rules of order to forestall this happening. Football is based on subject competitions and card-playing merit; it cannot be whatever other right smart.” When will the European Super League start? The teams involved were aiming for an August 2021 start.
Given the controversy and the reaction of FIFA, UEFA and the fact almost all of the teams have now removed themselves from the project, it would be surprising if the European Super League started at all. What's the reaction to the European Super League? Reaction to the announcement of the European Super League was almost universally negative. The hashtag #RIPfootball rapidly trended on Twitter as did the phrase #disgusting and #embarrassing. People were very angry about this.
Disgusting[[|#NoToSuperLeague]] [[|pic.twitter.com/7gJYorOMhy]]
— ChelseaLookback (@1JamesCHELSEA) April 18, 2021
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The European Super League anthem has been released..[[|#europeansuperleague]] [[|pic.twitter.com/h2iJCUbEAh]]
— Eric J Wilson (@eckylad) April 18, 2021
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I'm making jokes about the Super League because otherwise I'll be clinically depressed, this will actually change the landscape of football to a broken, hollow, moneygrabbing mess
— niran (@TheOfficialFNG) April 18, 2021
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Football. Created by the poor. Stolen by the rich. [[|#europeansuperleague]] [[|pic.twitter.com/iOIiMpI1YW]]
— James Melville 🌸 (@JamesMelville) April 18, 2021
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Some wanted to organize protests. Ultimately, thousands went to protests at various stadiums across Europe.
Do we go to the stadiums tomorrow and protest? Training grounds? We need to do something [[|#europeansuperleague]]
— The People's Champ 💯🤟🏽 (@TroopzAFC) April 18, 2021
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Former players such as England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand were quick to condemn the clubs involved, including ones they played for.
"This is, for me, a war on football."
“It's a disgrace, it's embarrassing, and it goes against everything that football game is about.”
Some strong feelings about the European Super League from our panel.
🗣 @rioferdy5, @RobbieSavage8 , @FrannyBenali pic.twitter.com/M2juOCmNNz — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 18, 2021
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High-profile current players spoke out, such as PSG's Ander Herrera.
[[|pic.twitter.com/C9zV59zJxH]]
— Ander Herrera (@AnderHerrera) April 19, 2021
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Liverpool's James Milner also spoke out against the league after a recent match with Leeds United.
🗣 | "I don't similar it and I desire it doesn't take place."
James Milner speaks out against the proposed breakaway European Super League…😳#MNF pic.twitter.com/NkMmNJhiyA — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2021
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“I don't corresponding it and I promise it doesn't happen,” he said.
Eventually that became the collective response of most Liverpool players as many posted the following message on social media platforms: “We don't the likes of it and we don't want it to materialize. This is our corporate spot.”
[[|pic.twitter.com/ATqIrCVpx0]]
— Andy Robertson (@andrewrobertso5) April 20, 2021
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Jurgen Klopp, the current manager of Liverpool, had previously spoken out on opposition to a European Super League when it was first being talked about. “My view didn't change,” he said in a post-match interview with Sky Sports.
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