EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE clubs could face a Champions League ban next season.
And Uefa chief Alexander Ceferin even compared the breakaway rebels to ‘flat-Eathers’ for their outdated views their plot could still succeed.
A week on from the bombshell announcement from the 12 European clubs hoping to form a new franchise-style competition, the Slovenian is determined to ensure they are punished.
On Tuesday, the six Premier League rebels all withdrew their intention to join the ESL, the brainchild of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
And that is likely to see the English clubs’ sanctions more lenient than other ringleaders Real, Barcelona and Juventus – who are so out of touch with reality it is like they believe the Earth is not round, according to Ceferin.
He threatened to suspend the clubs from Europe’s elite club competition and told the Mail on Sunday: “Let’s see. Everyone has to take consequences for what they did and we cannot pretend nothing happened.
“You cannot do something like that and just say, ‘I’ve been punished because everybody hates me’.
“They don’t have problems because of anyone else but themselves. It’s not OK what they did and we will see in next few days what we have to do.
“But for me it’s a clear difference between the English clubs and the other six. They pulled out first, they admitted they made a mistake. You have to have some greatness to say, ‘I was wrong’.”
Ceferin continued: “For me there are three groups of this 12 – the English six, who went out first, then the other three [Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Inter] after them and then the ones who feel that Earth is flat and they think the Super League still exists.
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“And there is a big difference between those. But everyone will be held responsible. In what way, we will see.
“I don’t want to say disciplinary process but it has to be clear that everyone has to be held responsible in a different way.
“Is it disciplinary? Is it the decision of the executive committee? We will see. It’s too early to say.”
Perez is convinced the ESL will still go ahead in some format – especially because he claims the clubs are legally bound by the contracts they signed.
Ceferin, who was driving to Nyon to implement reforms to the Champions League when the news broke, previously stated how he felt betrayed by the owners involved in the plot – especially the father of his godchild and Juve chief Andrea Agnelli.
The Uefa president hailed the unified response of pundits, fans and politicians in England to help stamp out the rebellion plans within 48 hours.
He said: “Look, honestly speaking I was completely impressed by the reaction of the fans, the whole football community and not just the football community but I would say society. I have never seen this.
“Uefa did its part, the clubs that stood with us did their part. And of course, the UK Government out of all did the big part. But by far the biggest part was done by fans.
“Absolutely I was impressed by the reaction of UK Government. I had a phone conversation with Prime Minister Johnson and State Secretary Dowden many times in these 48 crazy hours.
“They were on the right side of history at the right time. And this is impressive.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
