European Super League: Uefa furious at 12 major clubs

The idea as currently proposed is no.

The probable end goal of getting UEFA to bend over to their wishes, I don't have much objection.

If you get a chance, listen to Simon Jordan's thoughts on Talksport (link in post #16).
I have always trusted his views on football and he has insights into it's governance that are often very revealing.

FER GOD SAKE
Man Utd legend Sir Alex Ferguson slams European Super League plans and insists ‘fans love the competition as it is’

• William Pugh

• 19 Apr 2021, 7:58
• Updated: 19 Apr 2021, 15:20

MANCHESTER UNITED legend Sir Alex Ferguson has slammed plans for a European Super League saying fans 'love the Champions League' as it is.

The Red Devils are one of 12 rebel clubs known to have signed up to the breakaway league but their iconic former manager has lamented the move away from 70 years of football history.

Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken of his affection for the Champions League amid talks of a European Super League - Credit: Getty

Renegade plans for the new league have been widely slammed by fans across the country.

The competition could start as soon as NEXT SEASON with the 15 founding clubs signing up for 23 YEARS.

It will almost certainly spell the end of the Champions League and Fergie has leaped to the defence of the famous old tournament as anger intensifies.

He told Reuters: "Talk of a Super League is a move away from 70 years of European club football.

"Both as a player for a provincial team Dunfermline in the 60s and as a manager at Aberdeen winning the European Cup Winners' Cup, for a small provincial club in Scotland it was like climbing Mount Everest.

"Everton are spending £500million to build a new stadium with the ambition to play in Champions League.

"Fans all over love the competition as it is. In my time at United, we played in four Champions League finals and they were always the most special of nights.

"I'm not sure Manchester United are involved in this, as I am not part of the decision making process."

I havent watched the videos but i have heard little bits of snippets from news outlets on the radio throughout the day, I have yet to hear of anyone in favour.
I personally am against the whole idea its to much like the American franchise system, football as we know it will be buried if this idea gets off the ground and these 6 Teams are allowed to stay in Domestic competition as well as this so called ESL, by all means let them go and play in their own competition but dont allow them to have their cake and eat it, so i hope that the Premier League will take BIG decisions against the 6 such as expelling them or points deductions but points deductions wouldnt solve the issue, my big worry is that they the ESL will offer the EFL a sum of money to gain their support therefore putting the Premier League against the EFL, if that happens then goodness knows what the outcome may be. I think EUFA will also have to take a strong stance against this because they have to show support for Dutch, Belgian, German, French, Portuguese, English, Scottish, Italian, Spanish, and indeed all the remaining Teams outside of this Super League.
I really and truly hope that the PL will expel the 6 Teams from the League they dont deserve any loyalty whatsoever, the fans deserve so much better than this and the players are going to be in a difficult position. I for one wont be watching any ESL game as it has no interest for me whatsoever.

This won't happen. They need 75% of teams to agree to any changes so by having 6 teams going for the ESL they can't reach the 75%. Probably why Spurs were invited, there's no other reason.

What the remaining clubs could do is to apply to re-join the EFL thus leaving the Big 6 out in the cold.

My personal view is that it's a bargaining chip to negotiate a better deal in the Champions League.

Can't see what all the fuss is about the owners have a right do do with their club as they see fit, FIFA and UEFA

Do it all the time in F1 with the concord agreement.
That being said its a bit rich some fans complaining the big money will ruin the sport for them as the were quite happy for rich owners to buy the club up and put their own money in it, Im looking at you Chelsea

I don't think there is any way back for the "dirty dozen".
The owners have collectively shown their hand and even fans of the breakaway teams are turning against them.
I doubt whether any fans around the country will give them an easy ride and welcome them back in the premier league.
Of course it is the owners who should be castigated but they are hiding behind their desks in the USA and other countries.
The problem is that, because the real culprits (owners) are not at football games, there will be idiotic fans around the country who will not be able to separate the players and managers so there could be demonstrations etc.
The players will be verbally attacked everywhere.
Best to expel the wantaway teams as soon as possible and amalgamate all English divisions into a new league.

There could be many players in the wantaway teams who will hand in transfer requests because of all the punitive measures that will take place.

Interesting times ahead.

Interesting because there are too many games as it is - all the managers have been complaining for quite a while and the CL have changed their plan and there will be more games.

They don't have the right to do what they want because they are the owners.
The owners are only temporary but the fans are permanent.
American owners have even moved their sporting teams to a different city - imagine that happening here.
The Milton Keynes example did not go well.

Fan power in Europe shouldn't be under-estimated.

Their is another issue here which has tended to be overlooked, geographically the last time i looked the UK consists of more than London and the North West which is where the Greedy 6 are based.

Why Super League plan makes financial sense for top clubs:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56800611

So, the dirty dozen are all not making as much as they used to so they all moan with each other and try to screw everybody over.

From the Everton board (my team):

https://www.evertonfc.com/news/2111866

"Everton is saddened and disappointed to see proposals of a breakaway league pushed forward by six clubs.

Six clubs acting entirely in their own interests.

Six clubs tarnishing the reputation of our league and the game.

Six clubs choosing to disrespect every other club with whom they sit around the Premier League table.

Six clubs taking for granted and even betraying the majority of football supporters across our country and beyond.

At this time of national and international crisis - and a defining period for our game - clubs should be working together collaboratively with the ideals of our game and its supporters uppermost.

Instead, these clubs have been secretly conspiring to break away from a football pyramid that has served them so well.

And in that Pyramid Everton salutes EVERY club, be it Leicester City, Accrington Stanley, Gillingham, Lincoln City, Morecambe, Southend United, Notts County and the rest who have, with their very being, enriched the lives of their supporters throughout the game's history. And vice versa.

The self-proclaimed Super Six appear intent on disenfranchising supporters across the game - including their own - by putting the very structure that underpins the game we love under threat.

The backlash is understandable and deserved – and has to be listened to.

This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan.

On behalf of everyone associated with Everton, we respectfully ask that the proposals are immediately withdrawn and that the private meetings and subversive practises that have brought our beautiful game to possibly its lowest ever position in terms of trust end now.

Finally we would ask the owners, chairmen, and Board members of the six clubs to remember the privileged position they hold – not only as custodians of their clubs but also custodians of the game. The responsibility they carry should be taken seriously.

We urge them all to consider what they wish their legacy to be."

Everton FC Board of Directors

Also,
From Toffeweb: https://www.toffeeweb.com/season/20-21/news/40688.html

Everton owner, Farhad Moshiri, has branded the decision by 12 European clubs, six of them from the Premier League, to form a practically closed-shop Super League as "preposterous arrogance" and called for disciplinary measures to be taken against them.

Meanwhile, in a statement from the Everton Board of Directors and an email to supporters from CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, the club outlined its commitment to the football pyramid and principles of open competition and sporting merit. The 14 Premier League clubs excluded from the Super League have also unanimously rejected the plan and said, in a statement, that they are considering all options to prevent it.

The messages from Everton, the first public reaction since the announcement of a new 12-team league of permanent members, with a desire to expand to 15, that includes Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham was made on Sunday night, come as reports suggest that at least two of the English six are wavering in their commitment to the controversial new venture.

Following a tweet to that effect in the early hours of the morning by Oliver Holt of the Daily Mail, The Guardian claim that “a well-placed executive at another club approached to join the breakaway league” says that Chelsea and Manchester City, the last two clubs to commit to the Super League on Saturday, are already having second thoughts following the fierce backlash to the plan, particularly in England.

The same report, however, cites another source as casting doubt on whether any of the clubs who have signed up to the league that essentially breaks with the Uefa Champions and Europa Leagues will actually reconsider.

The opposition to the Super League continued today, with Fifa president, Gianni Infantino finally breaking his silence by saying that, "there is no doubt whatsoever of Fifa's disapproval of this,” but while he warned that, "concretely, ... you cannot be half in or half out of [European football],” he stopped short of threatening action agains the rebel clubs.

UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, meanwhile, offered "unwavering support" to the football authorities in their fight against the Super League and, in a statement from 10 Downing Street, said that, “was clear that no action is off the table and the government is exploring every possibility, including legislative options, to ensure these proposals are stopped.”

Moshiri, who sold his stake in Arsenal before his business partner Alisher Usmanov did the same after failing to gain entry to the North London club's board under their owner, Stan Kroenke, was speaking to TalkSport today where he voiced his disgust at the betrayal of the Premier League.

“Every facet of this is against the very idea of British football," he said. "Football clubs are community assets, they belong to fans and their communities. This just takes much of their romance away. It just makes it a money game — it's not football any more.

"This is six clubs attacking the very heart of the Premier League, and I think they should be disciplined.”

The statement from Goodison Park, meanwhile, urged their rival clubs to withdraw the proposals for the breakaway league that "[disenfranchises] supporters across the game — including their own — by putting the very structure that underpins the game we love under threat.

"The backlash is understandable and deserved — and has to be listened to. This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan.

"On behalf of everyone associated with Everton, we respectfully ask that the proposals are immediately withdrawn and that the private meetings and subversive practises that have brought our beautiful game to possibly its lowest ever position in terms of trust end now.

"Finally we would ask the owners, chairmen, and Board members of the six clubs to remember the privileged position they hold — not only as custodians of their clubs but also custodians of the game. The responsibility they carry should be taken seriously.

"We urge them all to consider what they wish their legacy to be."

The "rump" of 14 Premier League clubs convened today in a meeting led by the League's chairman Richard Masters and issued their statement afterwards that said: "The 14 clubs at the meeting unanimously and vigorously rejected the plans for the competition. The Premier League is considering all actions available to prevent it from progressing, as well as holding those Shareholders involved to account under its rules.

"The League will continue to work with key stakeholders including fan groups, Government, UEFA, The FA, EFL, PFA and LMA to protect the best interests of the game and call on those clubs involved in the proposed competition to cease their involvement immediately."

In a separate memo sent to the 14 clubs, Masters reportedly wrote:

"This venture cannot be launched without English clubs and we call upon any club contemplating associating themselves or joining this venture to walk away immediately before irreparable damage is done."

Sorry have to disagree they own it,it is their property and fan power in Europe is dwarfed by the fans in the rest of the world most of who won't care.

Fact of the matter is without the big 6 the Premiership is in real trouble of being side lined the owners and the FA know that so they will offer more money to stay giving them even more of an unfair advantage over smaller clubs.

So, Klopp said he is against the ESL and now Pep says "It's not sport if success is guaranteed"
L'Pool and Man City didn't even tell their own managers Pep: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/56819670

The dirty dozen really did not do their homework first.
Get rid of the mutineers after the last game of this season

I don't agree, John.
The six can bugger off and then start the process of amalgamating the other divisions can start, even if the name "Premier League" is renamed.
The greedy clubs can "do one".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/56812305
15:05
'We are European football. They are not'

UEFA

The Uefa congress is taking place today and they have just released the following statement about the European Super League:

The 55 member associations and participants in the Uefa Congress condemn the declaration of a so called “Super League.” The Uefa Congress is adamant that the closed “Super League” goes against the very concept of what it is to be European: unified, open, supportive, and principled on sporting values. Uefa and its member associations believe in a truly European model that is founded on open competitions, solidarity and redistribution to ensure the sustainability and development of the game for the benefit of all and the promotion of European values and social outcomes.

The conspirator clubs have obviously failed to see that their status today was not achieved in isolation, but rather was part of a dynamic European system where big, medium and small clubs have all contributed to the successes and losses of everyone. It is an affront to European values and sporting merit for them to assume they are entitled to “separate” and lay claim to the legacy that everyone built.

Uefa, its member associations and all those who love football stand firm and will strongly resist and fight against this move by these clubs’ owners and their backers to the fullest extent possible. We know, morally, what is at stake and will protect football from a selfish clan who care nothing for the game. We are European football. They are not.

A few too many swear words so just a pointer:

You tube channel "Anfield Agenda" and Soper League Rant.

(Shankley and their past footballing greats will not be happy.)