European Super League: EPL ‘big six’ supporters’ clubs promise backlash; ‘unbridled American greed’ says one insider

Anger swept across English football after yesterday’s revelation that the “big six” Premier League teams have signed up to the European Super League (ESL). Supporter groups expressed their outrage as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur admitted that they were among the 12 clubs aiming to establish a midweek competition outside the jurisdiction of Uefa.

The proposals represent a huge threat to the integrity of the European game. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have signed up too, as have Milan, Internazionale and Juventus.

The news leaked yesterday afternoon and was a “major, major shock” to football authorities across the continent according to a senior figure. The clubs involved confirmed their participation late last night but by then fury was spreading throughout the game.

Liverpool’s Spirit of Shankly Supporters’ Union made their objections clear on social media. “Embarrassing,” they tweeted. “As fan representatives we are appalled and completely oppose this decision. Fenway Sports Group [Liverpool’s owners] have ignored fans in their relentless and greedy pursuit of money. Football is ours not theirs. Our football club is ours not theirs.”

Uefa says it will ban football clubs who take part in a ‘cynical and greedy’ European Super League

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) entitled their response: “The betrayal of Tottenham Hotspur.” Arsenal’s Supporters’ Trust said the news heralded the “death of Arsenal as a sporting institution.”

The breach with Uefa has been brewing for some time. The Champions League reforms for the 2024 season were set to be announced today but many of Europe’s most prominent clubs – including the French and German sides who have not yet signed up for the Super League – have long been unhappy with Europe’s ruling body. The dissatisfaction goes deeper than money. The big clubs want more of a say in the governance of the game.

The main battleground will be the Premier League. There was a meeting scheduled today to discuss the Strategic Review that was instigated last year but the Big Six are unhappy with the findings. In the febrile atmosphere this get-together is likely to be cancelled.

United, in particular, are dismissive of the review. It reached the point in the past month where the Big Six considered a vote of no confidence against the Premier League board. The divisions have been deepening since the furore over Project Big Picture last year. The owners of United and Liverpool presented a blueprint for a change in the financial status and governance of the English game but the proposals were rejected. Six months on, the issues remained unaddressed.

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Uefa planned last month to unveil the details for the revamped Champions League for the 2024 season but were forced to delay their announcement. The suggestion was that Europe’s biggest teams were unhappy about the fiscal breakdown but sources within the 12 rebel clubs claim that their stance is not about money. It is about the direction of the game.

Supporters find that difficult to swallow. Real’s Florentino Perez is the chairman of the ESL but Arsenal’s Stan Kroenke, Liverpool’s John W Henry and United’s Joel Glazer are three of the four vice-chairs. They are each from the United States. Milan are also under US ownership

“The Americans are driving this,” a source involved in the discussions said. “It’s unbridled American greed.”

There are deep divisions inside the individual clubs, too.

Hopes for a compromise faded last night when the 12 clubs announced their intention to set up the new tournament. “I can’t picture the 20 [Premier League] clubs sitting in a room any time soon,” an executive from an English top-flight side said on condition of anonymity. “This is a massive breach of trust.”

Uefa believes that the proposed league will fail under legal challenges but the participants in the breakaway are convinced that they will win in the courtroom. All sides are preparing themselves for a long, ugly battle.

There were indications last night from those inside the Big Six clubs that they were not expecting such a backlash from supporters. That would suggest that those driving the schism do not understand their own fanbases.

The verdict of fans – at least in England – has been hostile. The mood among supporters is that this is the tipping point. A fractious era has begun in European football. 

“We demand the board immediately disassociates itself from the breakaway league,” THST said. “Only then can meaningful discussions about change take place. If the Board does not do this, we will have no choice but to call on new owners prepared to safeguard the past, present and future of our great club to step forward and work with us.”

Such cooperation is unlikely. Whatever happens, there is no going back from yesterday.