The Premier League’s traditional big six were part of the group, along with Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan from Italy and Real Madrid,Barcelona and Atletico Madrid from Spain.
The severe backlash from the footballing world, including protests from fans, saw the Premier League’s big six get cold feet.
And on Tuesday night, the six English clubs that signed up for the competition announced that they had changed their mind.
The Super League issued a defiant response in the face of the mass U-turn. A warning from Super League president Florentino Perez still stands
(Image: Getty Images)
With Liverpool and other Premier League clubs having been put under severe pressure to
The European Super League is convinced that the current status quo of European football needs to change,” read a statement. “We are proposing a new European competition because the existing system does not work.
“Our proposal is aimed at allowing the sport to evolve while generating resources and stability for the full football pyramid, including helping to overcome the financial difficulties experienced by the entire football community as a result of the pandemic.
reverse their decision to play in the competition, Perez claimed there is now no turning back:
“The contract of the Super League is binding. Nobody can leave, we will work all together. All the clubs signed the contracts last Saturday. There’s no problem.”
Liverpool’s owner Fenway Sports Group have really backed themselves into a corner, and it remains to be seen whether they will be able to get out unscathed.
Signing a commitment to take part in the Super League, combined with the guaranteed £440m they will make from participating in the tournament’s first season, means they will likely stick to their guns.
However, the fierce criticism from fans, players, managers, pundits and the media will make it very hard for them to stay the course. The fact that nobody from the ownership group has spoken out about the plans, unlike Perez, shows you they fear the backlash that is coming their way.
