Football fans across the globe were shocked by the announcement for the formation of the European Super League. 12 clubs from Europe have decided to join the tournament already and will become the founding members of the competition.
However, former Manchester United player, Gary Neville, was quick to show his frustration on clubs that decided to join Super League. Neville slammed the English clubs, especially Manchester United and Liverpool over their decision to join the Super League.
Gary Neville made his view on the new Super League clear while commentating for the match between Manchester United and Burnley in the Premier League.
“I’m a Manchester United fan and have been for 40 years of my life but I’m disgusted, absolutely disgusted. However, I’m disgusted with Manchester United and Liverpool the most. Liverpool say they’re the people’s club, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone‘, the fan’s club.” – Gary Neville
Gary Neville on the European Super League
The former English right-back did not hold his emotion. He went onto criticize all the clubs that have decided to join the Super League. He wanted to “wrestle back power” from the clubs involved and slammed the decision as “pure greed”.
“Deduct them all points tomorrow, put them at the bottom of the league, and take the money off them.“. – Gary Neville added
Neville was not alone in his reaction towards the new breakaway league. Former players, pundits, fans, and players all across the world have been fast to express their resentment. Football has always stood as a game for the people, however, with the new Super League, the majority have felt that the game is moving towards money.
What is this new European Super League?
The idea for a European Super League is not new and dated back to the late 90s. The 12 clubs that have joined will become the founding members of the League. However, three more teams are expected to join as founding members. Along with them, an additional 5 teams will qualify for the league annually based on their previous season’s performance.
Currently Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur from the Premier League have joined as founding members. Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid from La Liga have joined as well. And finally, from Serie A Juventus, Inter and AC Milan have joined.
However, PSG, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund have refused to join the competition as of now. Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez will act as the Chairman for the League with several other Vice-Chairperson.
UEFA and the Local FA’ reaction
UEFA, English FA, the Italian Federcalcio, and the Royal Spanish Football Federation have had a negative reaction to the announcement. As a result of this, they have warned that clubs involved will be banned from all other domestic, European, and World Football Competitions.
Critics and fans feel that the competition will end the legacy of competitions like the Champions League. Moreover, the new format will take away the ability of smaller sides to compete with the bigger oppositions.
What makes football special are the romantic tales of sides like FC Porto that wins the Champions League against all odds. However, with the Super League, one will be left with the same sides facing each other year after year, churning money from advertisement and sponsorships.
However, the battle lines have been drawn as the debate and decision surrounding the new European Super League will take center stage in the world of football for the weeks to come. Expect more people like Gary Neville to come out and vent their opinion on, what many are calling the “death of European Football”.
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