European Super League prompts backlash from fans, players and politicians

Sports Desk, Apr 19 (EFE).- The announcement late last night that some of Europe’s richest football clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool had signed up for the creation of an elite European Super League has sparked a huge backlash from fans, former players and even politicians such as the United Kingdom’s prime minister Boris Johnson.

Spearheaded by Real Madrid’s chairman Florentino Perez, who would become CEO of the Super League, the plan envisions an elite competition with some of the continent’s biggest clubs playing against each other on a weekly basis.

The Premier League’s Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur; LaLiga’s Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid and Barcelona and Seria’s AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus agreed to become the founding clubs of the Super League.

But the unveiling of the plan hit an immediate sour note with the respective domestic leagues and UEFA, which have threatened to take action against the clubs involved.

The UK’s Johnson on Monday vowed to do his best to prevent the Super League from going ahead.

“We are going to look at everything that we can do with the football authorities to make sure that this doesn’t go ahead in the way that it’s currently being proposed,” he told local media.

“I don’t think that it’s good news for fans, I don’t think it’s good news for football in this country,” he added.

The tournament would comprise 20 teams, the 15 founder clubs, who would not face relegation, in addition to five competitors that qualify based on their performance in the previous season.

It would follow a two, 10-team group format, playing two-match ties with the top three automatically advancing to the quarterfinals, while the two remaining encounters would be up for grabs in a play-off system.

Paris Saint-Germain’s midfielder Ander Herrera on Monday said the project destroyed the concept of football.