Already the beginning of the end for the European Football Super League project? Barely 48 hours after the announcement of a project for a closed private competition carried by twelve major European clubs, Manchester City announced its withdrawal on Tuesday, April 20. The Mancunian club was followed in the evening by the other English participants: Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United. Chelsea should follow, according to our information.
The heavyweights of English football, who were not at the initiative of the Super League, have cracked under the weight of the public outcry that has gripped England and the world. In addition, Ed Woodward, executive vice-president of Manchester United, who is among the instigators of secession, announced his resignation.
From Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the future King of England Prince Williams, including opposition leader Keir Starmer, almost all football commentators and official football bodies, all have stepped up to the plate facing this very American inspired idea. The subject was even debated in Parliament.
Boris Johnson’s threat
Boris Johnson himself received English football authorities and fan groups on Tuesday. During the meeting he threatened to “Place a legislative bomb” under the Super League project, without specifying further his thought. Among the measures considered were the idea of a super-tax on clubs, a limit on visas granted to footballers or the refusal to provide the police to monitor matches.
Football moguls seem to have underestimated the weight of English football traditions. All over the country, supporters came to express their dissatisfaction with the stadiums.
In front of Stanford Bridge, in Chelsea, several thousand of them gathered on Tuesday, despite the health restrictions still in place. Several signs carried the same slogan: “The ultimate betrayal. “ On the announcement of the withdrawal of his team, one of the supporters celebrated with a sentence that summarized everything: “We’ve won football” (“We won football”).
Continuing to exploit the vein, Boris Johnson – who had split from an article in The Sun Tuesday – returned to the charge on Twitter. “The decision by Chelsea and Manchester City – if upheld – is absolutely the right one, and I congratulate them. I hope the other relevant clubs in the European Super League will follow suit. “
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