Chief Executive of the Football Supporters Association Kevin Miles has criticised the foreign owners of the ‘Big Six’ Premier League clubs over plans to set up a European Premier League.
The competition would be made up of some of the top teams from five European countries, and it is believed to have the backing of the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. However, Miles says it is an opportunistic attempt to make more money:
“The timing of it now, after the knock-back of Project Big Picture, proves that behind the scenes there are repeated attempts by the big, billionaire owners in England and Europe to carve out an ever-bigger slice of football revenues for themselves. That would have a devastating impact on domestic leagues, and a huge impact on clubs up and down the pyramid. It would threaten the very existence and the structure of English football that we have known and loved for many years.”
Miles goes on to accuse the owners of England’s top clubs of not understanding the game in this country and how the football pyramid system is meant to work:
“Many of them don’t understand the culture, and have no sympathy and support for the pyramid of how the game is organised here. They’ve perhaps grown up with a franchise model of sport. They seem to want to guarantee their own involvement in these competitions at the highest level, and give themselves control over it.”
It remains to be seen whether Manchester City will be involved with this new competition. Reports suggest that five English teams would be invited to the tournament as and when it is set up. It is believed it will be a direct competitor to UEFA’s Champions League.
