Super League crumbles as contrite clubs battle to hold off sanctions

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is the head of the Super League

English supporters were up in arms over the Super League

The European Super League crumbled on Wednesday with 10 of the 12 founding clubs turning their backs on the three-day old project despite mastermind Florentino Perez insisting the widely-condemned breakaway tournament was not dead, but merely "on stand-by".

Perez shrugged off the withdrawals of the six English clubs as well as Inter and AC Milan, and Atletico Madrid.

"The project is on stand-by. The project exists, but half of them have left, tired of what they have heard over 24 hours, saying they don't want to continue," Real Madrid president Perez told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.

Barcelona have yet to make their plans clear but they are "thinking about it", added Perez.

Of the campaign by fans, politicians and leagues and federations, he added: "It seemed orchestrated. It was like we had killed football. We were working on how to save football."

"We got it wrong," said Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer.

Glazer's apology followed an earlier similar act of contrition by Liverpool owner John W Henry.

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano admitted his club made a "mistake" to get involved.

Karl-Erik Nilsson, who is also the president of the Swedish Football Association, said European governing body UEFA's executive committee would decide whether to take action against the clubs at its next meeting on Friday.

The Super League promised guaranteed entry for its founding clubs and billions of dollars in payments.

But the project was vehemently opposed across the football spectrum, from fans to players, coaches, politicians, UEFA and FIFA.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin had struck a conciliatory tone on Wednesday, saying he wanted to "rebuild the unity" of European football, and described the English clubs as "back in the fold".

"The important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that the game enjoyed before this and move forward together."

- 'Reconsider steps' -

"We shall reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project," its statement said.

Reigning European champions Bayern Munich and French giants Paris Saint-Germain had both come out strongly opposed to the breakaway league, dealing it a heavy blow.

Adding to the drama on Tuesday, Manchester United announced that executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward would step down from his role at the end of 2021.

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