An Arsenal fan protesting the Super League outside the Emirates on Monday in London. Photo: Charlotte Wilson/Offside via Getty Images When it comes to sports fans, there’s always someone willing to defend the indefensible. There are people out there who claim to enjoy Alex Rodriguez’s ramblings on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball , or who cheer for Boston-area sports teams, or who think golf is interesting. I wouldn’t want to get stuck with them on an elevator, but they exist. Over the weekend came the first sports phenomenon I can remember that absolutely no one likes. On Sunday evening, 12 top European soccer clubs, including legendary franchises like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and AC Milan, announced that they were launching a new competition, constructed after months of secret negotiations, called “Super League,” which exists exclusively for the richest, most powerful clubs. The new league claimed in a release that it would split $4.2 billion in estimated revenues by essentially walling itself off from the other European leagues. This would completely upend — destroy, essentially — the entire structure of European soccer, much of which is buffeted by those top teams mingling with smaller, less wealthy teams. And people are furious . Furious! Everyone hates this thing. UEFA, the group in charge of European soccer , not only blasted the new league but claimed that any player on any of the teams involved in the Super League would be banned from international competition. ( Which is a legally dubious threat but one all those players and their agents surely heard.) Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the U.K. has promised his government will do whatever is possible to block the new league , and the Spanish and Italian governments condemned it too. (There have even been calls for the European Commission to step in .) The top fan group for Liverpool, the club famous for its “You’ll Never Walk Alone” song/cheer, is removing all banners and ...
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UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says those clubs planning a new Super League are ‘taking football hostage’
(CNN) UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says the "shameless" plans for a new European Super League (ESL) are akin to taking "football hostage." Speaking to CNN Sport contributor Darren Lewis, Ceferin did not hold back on the proposals which threaten to rock the foundations of the sport but was confident the new league would not be a success. "Because we [UEFA] respect the fans, the traditions, football, the football community, our society, we will win. In the end, we will win," Ceferin says. "If 12 people want to meet to take football hostage, just to fill their pockets that are already so full that it's hard to put anything in, they can't win. Long term, they can't win." In a joint announcement Sunday, six English clubs -- Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur -- alongside three teams from Italy -- AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus -- and three from Spain -- Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid -- laid out plans to form a breakaway competition. Read More The announcement has resulted in widespread condemnation, with fans, players and politicians all criticizing the founding members for prioritizing financial gain and creating a closed shop for the richest clubs. "I'm proud and happy that fans respect football, that they love football, that they respect history and they're not for sale," Ceferin added. "Fans are not for sale and football players as well. And I hope they will raise their voice and stop this nonsense of a project that would kill football not only in the UK, but in all Europe." Ceferin says he had previously been reassured by both Juventus and Manchester United that neither club would sign up to the new structure and was left surprised by the news. He was particularly frustrated with Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, who he said had been ignoring his calls since the rumors of the major announcement were circulating. "I ...
What is the new European Super League and how will it work?
(CNN) Football fans, politicians and governing bodies are united in fury after 12 of the sport's biggest teams announced plans to breakaway from European football competitions and form their own "Super League" -- a move that poses an existential threat to the world's favorite sport. Here's a rundown of what you need to know about the plans, and why they matter. What is it? It is potentially the biggest ever shake up of European club football . On Sunday, 12 of the largest -- and wealthiest -- football clubs in the world announced their intention to launch a European Super League (ESL). Read More The league would feature 20 clubs, which would include 15 founding teams, who would be permanent members. A further five clubs would qualify annually based on their achievements in the previous season. It's unclear whether those five clubs would be relegated from the ESL regardless of performance. Who is involved? The clubs involved include the traditional "Big Six" of the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid would also feature, alongside Italian sides AC Milan and Inter Milan, as well as Juventus. The 2020 Champions League winner Bayern Munich is not part of the project, while Borussia Dortmund chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke confirmed that the club was against the formation of the ESL. Both Bayern and Dortmund are represented on the European Club Association board and, according to Watzke, the two Bundesliga teams support a new Champions League format, which was scheduled to be approved by UEFA on Monday. Paris Saint-Germain are also not included, with The Guardian reporting their reluctance "could be down to proposed stringent financial regulations in the new competition that would be similar to UEFA's financial fair play." JUST WATCHED 'Football is ...
‘Important we stand our ground’: Players and fans condemn European Super League
(CNN) Players and fans of Liverpool and Leeds United took a stand against the European Super League , the controversial competition that is expected to change the face of football , during the sides' Premier League game on Monday. Fan protests were held outside Leeds' Elland Road stadium and a banner that read "#saynotosuperleague" was flown over the ground before kickoff. On the pitch, Leeds players wore shirts with the words "Football is for the fans" and "Earn it" alongside a Champions League logo during their warmup -- a reference to teams having to qualify to play in the Champions League, which wouldn't be the case for founding clubs of the Super League. Liverpool is one of 12 teams to have signed up for the competition, a breakaway European league currently featuring top teams from England, Spain and Italy. READ: Shock and outrage as world reacts to European Super League breakaway plans Read More A plane flies over Elland Road in protest against the European Super League. Most teams involved in the competition, which could begin as early as later this year and generate more revenue than the current European competitions, would be permanent members. "It's amazing the things they're talking about, I can't quite comprehend them," Leeds forward Patrick Bamford told Sky Sports after Monday's game, which ended 1-1. "It's amazing the amount of uproar that comes into the game when somebody's pockets are being hurt. It's a shame it's not like that with other things that go wrong at the minute -- with racism. "I haven't seen one football fan who's happy about the decision and I think football ultimately is for the fans. Without the fans, every single club would be pretty much nothing. So I think that it's important that we stand our ground and show football is for the fans and try to keep it that way." READ: José Mourinho sacked as Tottenham Hotspur manager Leeds players ...
Breakaway Super League clubs are meeting to discuss abandoning the competition, reports say
(CNN) The 12 members of the breakaway Super League are meeting to discuss the future of the exclusive competition, according to multiple reports on Tuesday. TalkSPORT was the first to report news of the meeting. CNN has reached out to the Super League for comment but has not heard back. Earlier on Tuesday, a number of clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester City, were reportedly preparing to leave the newly announced European Super League competition A source close to Chelsea told CNN Sport that the club is preparing to ask for withdrawal from the European Super League, a decision that comes less than 48 hours after the formation of the league was announced. The source says Chelsea leadership spent the last two days discussing the situation with its stakeholders, the community and fans and decided they can't break away and join the Super League if the fans aren't invested in the project. Read More "It has never been about the money," the source told CNN Sport , who added that Chelsea's intention in joining the Super League was based on a desire to improve the game, a priority for club owner Roman Abramovich. Later on Tuesday, The Sun newspaper reported Manchester City was also pulling out. CNN Sport has reached out to Manchester City but has not heard back. On Sunday, six English clubs -- Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur -- alongside three teams from Italy -- AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus -- and three from Spain -- Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid -- had laid out plans to form the breakaway competition. READ: Super League has got Boris Johnson all fired up, but path to victory looks risky "I think this project has died today ... and it is on the way to becoming a complete botch," former Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon told CNN's Richard Quest. "I think it deserves it because it was a project destined to kill football. I ...
