ARSENAL, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have CONFIRMED their plans to join a European Super League.
The 12-club tournament would be held throughout the season and would make the clubs even richer than they already are.
Gary Neville did not hold back on TV after Sky Sports discussed the plans live on air while leading football organisations including the Premier League have told clubs traditional competition is best for English football.
Follow ALL of the latest updates below from this developing story…
JOEL GLAZER SPEAKS
Manchester United’s co-chairman said: “By bringing together the world’s greatest clubs and players to play each other, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider pyramid.”
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez added: “We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world.
“Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”
SUPER LEAGUE FORMAT
As per the proposals, the League will contain 20 participating clubs with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.
It will involve midweek fixtures with their plan that all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues.
An August start with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter finals.
Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions.
A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.
UEFA HIT BACK
Potential fallout could see the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo absent from every future Champions League and World Cup with Barcelona and Juventus signed up to the Super League.
SUPER LEAGUE STATEMENT
“Twelve of Europe’s leading football clubs have today come together to announce they have agreed to establish a new mid-week competition, the Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs.
“AC Milan, Arsenal , Atlético, Chelsea, Barcelona, Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham have all joined.
“Three more clubs are expected to join as Founding Clubs before the inaugural season, which is expected to start as soon as possible. In the future, the Founding Clubs look forward to consulting with UEFA and FIFA in order to work together.”
JAVI-NG THE BEST TIME
Marcelo Bielsa has compared ‘Mr Versatile’ Stuart Dallas to Argentine legend Javier Zanetti.
He said: “I had a player like him, Javier Zanetti, and also Julio Saldana who I had when I first managed at Newell’s.
“Those two players are very alike Dallas in terms of their versatility.
“Dallas is a very potent, powerful player. He can play with either foot, his right or his left, he’s good at defending.
“He has the capacity to combine as well as make runs, which allows him to flourish playing in the middle.
“He has a change of rhythm and surprise when he attacks. It’s very difficult to find all that in just one player.”
‘WAR OF FOOTBALL’
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has had his say on European Super League plans.
BRAGGING RIGHTS
Rangers’ hopes of a league and Scottish Cup Double are ON after a derby win over Celtic at Ibrox.
The Light Blues ran out 2-0 winners to secure a spot in the quarter-final stage of the competition as they aim to add to their Premiership triumph.
Steven Davis and an own goal from Jonjoe Kenny handed Steven Gerrard’s men another victory over the Hoops this season and ensured their rivals won’t end the season with any silverware this campaign.
Read SunSport’s match report HERE.
RON-MAN TEAM
Juventus’ Champions League qualification hopes were dented by a late Atalanta winner as they felt the full force of Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence.
Andrea Pirlo’s side struggled without the injured CR7 and were beaten courtesy of Ruslan Malinovskiy’s 87th minute strike.
Atalanta leapfrogged their opponents into third place and moved on to 64 points, two ahead of Juventus, with both having played 31 games.
The Bianconeri are set to see their decade of dominance in the Italian league ended after nine consecutive Scudetto wins.
CLUB MUST ANSWER TO FANS
Prime minister Boris Johnson has released a short statement on Twitter addressing plans for a European Super League.
PFA ON EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE
A statement read: “The PFA has substantial concerns regarding the wide-ranging implications of the proposed European Super League concept.
“Football should strive to preserve the sanctity of a competitive domestic league above all else. Aspiration and sporting merits are an essential part of any sport and a vital component of the game we love.
“This proposed move would detract from the strength and joy of domestic football and diminish the game for the vast majority of fans across the continent.
“Clubs across all domestic competitions are not equal, each having differing financial starting points. However, success is never guaranteed, often cyclical and always earned.
“We have seen countless examples around Europe of teams outperforming their resources. In recent years, at home in the Premier League, this has resulted in unrivalled global entertainment and sporting drama.
“A system that rewards all clubs for success is paramount. In England, we are privileged to enjoy the most professional teams, the most professional players and in normal times, the highest aggregate attendances across the world. This success is achieved by working together and in solidarity.
“The PFA will work with players, The FA, Premier League, EFL, LMA and through FIFPRO, with other players’ associations, to represent the game’s best interests and protect the integrity of football.”
LEICESTER 1 SOUTHAMPTON 0
Kelechi Iheanacho deservedly fired Leicester to their first FA Cup final since 1969 = on the day fans returned to football.
The two-goal quarter-final hero this time pounced on a rebound from his own shot on 55 minutes to sink subdued Southampton and set up a May 15 clash with Chelsea.
Read SunSport’s match report HERE.
LACA OUT
Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette was forced out of his team’s 1-1 draw with Fulham after picking up an apparent hamstring injury.
The 29-year-old limped off in the 70th minute clutching his left leg – just 11 days before the Gunners face Villarreal in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
SUPER QUIET
Mikel Arteta and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have avoided answering questions on the European Super League proposals.
Both Manchester United and Arsenal are alleged to have signed up, a move that has been criticised by many – including Gary Neville.
Speaking after United’s 3-1 win against Burnley, Solskjaer said: “I’ve seen this morning the news and speculation. I can’t really say too much because my focus has been on this game.
“I haven’t looked into it, I’ve just been focused on this game so I need to sit down and see what it is.”
Arteta, speaking after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Fulham, also remained quiet, saying: “I don’t know anything about it.
“Once I know every detail and have all the information then I can evaluate the situation and give you my opinion.”
SUPER SIZED
A number of Premier League clubs are being linked with the controversial proposals, which have been blasted by Gary Neville as “criminal”.
MORE FROM NEVILLE
He told Sky Sports: “I’ve benefited from football hugely, I’ve made money out of football, I invest money into a football club. Now, I’m not against money in football. But the principles and ethos of fair competition and the rights to play the game.
“So Leicester win the league – they go into the Champions League. Manchester United aren’t even in the Champions League! Arsenal aren’t even in the Champions League, watched them earlier on today, they are an absolute shambles of a football club at the moment. Tottenham aren’t in the Champions League. And they want a God-given right to be in there.
“They’re an absolute joke and honestly the time has come now, independent regulator, stop these clubs having the power base. Enough is enough.”
Neville added: “Deduct them all points tomorrow – put them at the bottom of the league and take the money off them.
“Seriously you have got to stamp on this, it’s criminal. It is a criminal act against football fans in this country. Make no mistake about it. This is the biggest sport in the world, in this country and it’s a criminal act against the fans, simple as that.
“Deduct points, deduct their money and punish them.”
NOW OR NEV-ER
Gary Neville has been lauded for his impassionated rant against plans for the European Super League.
He told Sky Sports: “Well the reaction to it is that it’s been damned. And rightly so.
“I mean I am a Manchester United fan and have been for 40 years of my life but I’m disgusted, absolutely disgusted.
“Honestly, we have to wrestle back the power in this country from the clubs at the top of this league and that includes my club.
“And I’ve been calling for 12 months as part of another group for an independent regulator to bring checks and balances in place to stop this happening.
“It’s pure greed. They are impostors. They are impostors. The owners of this club, the owners of Liverpool, the owners of Chelsea, the owners of Manchester City are nothing to do with football in this country.
“There’s 100-odd years of history in this country from fans that have lived and loved these clubs. And they need protecting, the fans need protecting.”
SEEING RED
Gary Neville has said clubs should have points DEDUCTED for signing up to a European Super League.
The plans, pushed by Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and AC Milan, are backed by the financial muscle of US investment giant JP Morgan.
LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Roy Keane slammed plans for a breakaway European Super League as ‘pure greed’.
Speaking on Sky Sports at half-time in Manchester United’s game against Burnley, Keane fumed: “It’s all about money.
“It doesn’t sound good and let’s hope it is stopped in it’s tracks because it’s greed, pure greed.”
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards was similarly unimpressed.
He added: “What happens about fans and the memories fans have had over the years?
“Does all that go away because of money? I think it’s a disgrace.”
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 BURNLEY 1
Mason Greenwood struck twice in the second-half to keep Manchester United’s faint title hopes flickering.
The Red Devils looked set to drop points at home against Burnley for a fifth straight season when James Tarkowski headed them level early in the second-half.
But just six minutes from time Greenwood collected a pass from Paul Pogba and his shot was deflected off Jack Cork before beating Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
This win cuts City’s lead at the top to eight points with six games apiece remaining – and while it remains possible United are clearly not for chucking in the towel.
FAN FRENZY
Football finally welcomed back fans as 4,000 Leicester and Southampton followers streamed to Wembley for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final
The lucky ‘few’ strolled in the sunshine to the home of football without the usual packed pavements for such a big match.
But they looked ultra-relaxed and just happy to be there after the government let the FA select the clash as a one-off pilot event.
That’s before the May 17 nationwide date when crowds of up to 10,000 can officially return.
ARSENAL 1 FULHAM 1
Relegation-threatened Fulham were denied a first-ever win at Arsenal by Eddie Nkletiah’s 97th minute equaliser.
Scott Parker thought he was going to celebrate his 100th game as Fulham boss with a fabulous famous victory.
But he was cruelly robbed deep into stoppage time when sub Nketiah prodded the ball over the line after keeper Mat Ryan had come up to flick on a last-gasp corner.
The visitors had snatched an unlikely 59th minute lead through Josh Maja’s penalty but are now five points adrift of safety and having played more games than all of the teams above them.
Read SunSport’s match report HERE.
GOAL KING
Timo Werner may appear to have struggled at Stamford Bridge since arriving from RB Leipzig in a £48million deal.
However, the Chelsea forward has remarkably been directly involved in 19 goals in all competitions this season – more than other player at the club.
Werner has scored 10 goals and provided nine assists for his team-mates – three more than any other Blues star.
The German international helped provide the breakthrough for Hakim Ziyech against Manchester City on Saturday, after making a darting run and delivering a cross to find the Moroccan to tap into an empty net.
HELPING HEND
Chris Wood has the ball in the net straight after kick-off but thankfully for Dean Henderson the goal is ruled out for offside.
BETTER CALL SAUL
Man Utd could reportedly meet Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez’s release clause in the summer.
The Daily Star have claimed that the Red Devils are ready to activate his £43m clause as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer eyes up a new midfielder.
Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also understood to be interested in the Spain international.
But it has been stated that Saul could be tempted by a switch to the Premier League.
MAUR TIME
PSG have moved to within a point of leaders Lille in the Ligue 1 title race after Mauro Icardi scored a last-minute winner against St Etienne.
The French champions looked to have dropped two points but the 28-year-old’s late header snatched a 3-2 victory.
Denis Bouanga opened the scoring for the visitors in the 77th minute, before Kylian Mbappe expertly controlling Marco Verratti’s long ball over the top and slotting home with ease.
The comeback appeared to be complete in the 87th minute when Mbappe converted a penalty – yet there was more to come.
A 92nd-minute effort from Bouanga was poorly dealt with by Sergio Rico in the PSG goal and Romain Hamouma scored from the rebound to seemingly maintain Lille’s three-point lead.
Icardi, however, had other ideas as he leapt high above the defence to head home an Angel Di Maria cross in the fifth minute of added time.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
