By Ben Riley-Smith
Prince William has warned that the European Super League risks damaging English football, as the UK government and football’s governing bodies united in opposition to the plan.
The Duke of Cambridge, who is president of the UK’s Football Association, went public with his concerns amid a fierce backlash against the “big six” English Premier League clubs who threatened to break away.
Prince William is the president of the UK’s Football Association.Credit: Carl Recine
UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced the government was ready to step in – with changes to the law if necessary – to stop the league’s creation. He said everything from a windfall tax on clubs participating to fewer work permits and reduced help with policing on match days were being considered as punishments.
Dowden’s intervention came after conversations with executives at the Premier League, FA and Europe’s governing body UEFA, who are united in opposition and braced for a potential court battle. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin branded rebel clubs the “dirty dozen” and called executives at Manchester United and Juventus “snakes” for pursuing the idea.
The unprecedented stand-off between governments and football’s governing bodies against the continent’s most famous clubs followed a dramatic statement late on Sunday night. Six English clubs announced they would become founding members of the so-called Super League: Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City.
They joined Spanish sides Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona and Italian clubs AC Milan, Juventus and Inter. No German, French or Dutch sides have yet backed the move.
The proposal sparked outrage as the founding clubs would become permanent members of the league, with no promotion or relegation, an idea criticised as against the spirit of football.
The teams involved argued they could continue to play in their domestic leagues alongside the new competition but have been threatened with expulsion and having players banned from international duties.
JP Morgan is financing the new league, providing a €3.5 billion ($5.4 billion) grant to the founding clubs to spend on infrastructure and recovery from the pandemic.
The Premier League’s 14 other clubs will hold emergency talks. UEFA will discuss expelling the two Manchester clubs, Arsenal and Chelsea from the semi-finals of the Champions League and Europa League at a meeting on Friday.
Juergen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, said he stood by his previously expressed opposition to a Super League, saying his views “didn’t change” and that he was “not involved” in the scheme. In a post-match interview on Monday night, Liverpool’s James Milner said: “I don’t like it and hopefully it doesn’t happen.”
Leeds United appeared to protest against the Super League, wearing T-shirts before the match against Liverpool bearing the words: “Earn it.”
The backlash was swift and intense after the proposal was confirmed by the clubs involved on Sunday night, uniting politicians across the spectrum and supporters from all corners of the country.
Prince William, an Aston Villa supporter, tweeted: “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.”
Daily Telegraph, UK