- The controversial
European Super League launched and collapsed in just 48 hours. - After criticism from fans, players, and politicians, eight of the original 12 teams have withdrawn.
- The past two days have been the most dramatic in
soccer history, and have changed the game forever.
In the space of 48 hours the world of soccer has been turned on its head by the announcement and subsequent abandonment of the European Super League, in what may well be the most dramatic two days in the sport's history.
On Sunday, 12 of Europe's biggest soccer teams announced they had agreed to join an elite breakaway competition dubbed The Super League, but often referred to as the European Super League.
By Tuesday night the proposal had fallen flat on its head amid mass protests and huge opposition to the plans, which seemed to annoy every single soccer fan in the world.
The news of the proposed league was first broken on Sunday afternoon by The Times of London, which reported that six English Premier League teams were among those that signed up to play.
The competition, backed by Wall Street giant JPMorgan looked to reshape by soccer by ensuring the continent's best clubs compete against each other regularly throughout the season - the same way the UEFA Champions League does, but with only those it deemed worthy, and rich enough, to take part.
While the billionaire owners of those clubs involved had spent months constructing their masterplan in secret, it took just a few hours for the rest of the world of soccer to make its voice heard.
That voice was almost unanimous in saying, in the words of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson: "We don't like it and we don't want it to happen."
-Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) April 20, 2021
Three hours after the initial report by the Times, European soccer's governing body UEFA released a joint statement with the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A to condemn the plans.
"[We] will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever," they said.
They also threatened that teams involved would be banned from competing in their domestic leagues, and that their players would be banned from representing their national teams.
Pundits and politicians also spoke out
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the idea "very damaging for football."
"Plans for a European Super League would be very damaging for football and we support football authorities in taking action," he tweeted.
-Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 18, 2021
"They would strike at the heart of the domestic game, and will concern fans across the country. The clubs involved must answer to their fans and the wider footballing community before taking any further steps."
Labour party leader Keir Starmer said the clubs involved should "rethink immediately" or "face the consequences of their actions."
Sky
"It's pure greed. They're imposters," Neville said. "Manchester United, 100 years, born out of workers from around here, and they're breaking away into a league without competition that they can't be relegated from? It's an absolute disgrace."
Things really went wrong after the official announcement
On Sunday night, after an afternoon of already fierce backlash, the ESL put out a statement confirming the 12 clubs that had signed up: AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Tottenham.
The statement also said the competition wished to "commence as soon as practicable."
The next day, current players began speaking out, including Paris Saint Germain midfielder Ander Herrera and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes.
"I cannot remain silent about this, I believe in an improved Champions League, but not in the rich stealing what the people created," said Herrera, while Fernandes said: "Dreams can't be [bought]."
On Monday afternoon, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin then addressed the public, and did not hold back.
"It's a nonsense of a project," he said. "This idea is a spit in the face for all footballer lovers and our society. We will not allow them to take this away from us."
He also called the teams involved "snakes" and described the proposal as "disgraceful."
Monday night then saw Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp become the first coach to speak out against the plans.
"We were not involved in the process," he said after his side's draw with Leeds United. "We are the team, we wear the shirts with pride. Somebody has made a decision with the owners in world football that we don't know exactly why."
Less than 24 hours later the house of cards began to tumble
As thousands of fans gathered outside of Chelsea's home ground, Stamford Bridge, to protest on Tuesday night, it was reported that Manchester City had become the first club to drop out.
Chelsea followed suit shortly after, prompting wild celebrations from supporters outside the stadium.
-Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) April 20, 2021
By 10:45 p.m. GMT, all six of the Premier League clubs involved had withdrawn, while Manchester United's executive vice chairman Ed Woodward announced he was to step down at the end of the year.
Clubs were grovelling in their apologies.
Tottenham's chairman Daniel Levy apologized for the "anxiety and upset" the plans had caused, while Liverpool owner John W. Henry addressed his club's supporters in a video, taking sole responsibility for the "unnecessary negativity."
"The project put forward was never going to stand without the support of the fans," said the American. "Over these 48 hours you were very clear that it would not stand. We heard you. I heard you."
Manchester United co-owner Joel Glazer penned an open letter to the club's fans in which he wrote: "You made very clear your opposition to the European Super League, and we have listened. We got it wrong, and we want to show that we can put things right.
"Although the wounds are raw and I understand that it will take time for the scars to heal, I am personally committed to rebuilding trust with our fans and learning from the message you delivered with such conviction."
The withdrawal of the English teams prompted Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, one of the key architects behind the ESL, to admit the plan was doomed on Wednesday morning.
"To be frank and honest no, evidently that is not the case," he said when asked if the plan could still go ahead after the withdrawals.
Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan have also both since withdrawn since Agnelli's comments, leaving only four of the original 12 teams left in the proposed competition.
-Gary Neville (@GNev2) April 20, 2021
Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Juventus are yet to formally withdraw from the ESL, but that almost seems unnecessary now given that two-thirds of those involved have already pulled out of the tournament.
Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president, who has been the league's most vocal advocate, is yet to comment on its rapid demise, although Juventus' Agnelli did leave the door open for plans to come back.
"I remain convinced of the beauty of that project, of the value it would have developed to the pyramid, of the creation of the best competition in the world," he told Reuters.
Whether or not that manifests itself is unclear, but for now, the European Super League is dead.