European Super League plans: Neville, Shearer and Lineker condemn 'greedy' breakaway football clubs, as Liverpool fans' group says it will remove all flags from Kop
The backlash has been fierce and prompt, with former players "absolutely disgusted" with the plans, described as "pure greed".
Monday 19 April 2021 14:52, UK
Former players at some of England's top football clubs - and fans - have hit out at plans to create a European Super League, calling the proposals a "joke", "greed" and a "disgrace".
The six English clubs involved in the breakaway project are Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
The competition is set to rival UEFA's Champions League format which currently dominates European football.
The backlash has been both fierce and prompt, with ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville telling Sky Sports he was "absolutely disgusted" with the plans and it was "pure greed".
He said: "I'm disgusted with Manchester United and Liverpool the most. They're breaking away into a league without competition that they can't be relegated from? It's an absolute disgrace.
"We have to wrestle back the power in this country from the clubs at the top of this league - and that includes my club.
"It's pure greed, they're imposters. The owners of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, they are nothing to do with football in this country.
"Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham aren't even in the Champions League. And they want a God-given right to be in there? They're an absolute joke.
"The time has come now to have independent regulators to stop these clubs from having the power base. Enough is enough."
He also said: "I'm not against the modernisation of football competitions, we have the Premier League, the Champions League.
"But I think to bring forward proposals in the midst of COVID and the economic crisis for all clubs is an absolute scandal.
"United and the rest of the 'Big Six' that have signed up to it against the rest of the Premier League should be ashamed of themselves."
Neville added: "They should deduct six points off all six teams that have signed up to it. Deduct points off them all. To do it during a season? It's a joke."
Former United captain Roy Keane added: "I think it comes down to money, greed.
"Obviously we've heard nothing from FIFA yet but it doesn't sound good. Let's hope it's stopped in its tracks.
"We talk about the big clubs. Bayern Munich are one of the biggest clubs in the world - at least they've made a stand, which is a good start."
Former Football Association and Manchester City chairman David Bernstein described it as "a seismic moment for football in Europe and in this country".
"I'm personally very much against it," he told Sky News. "I think it destroys the pyramid of football.
"We have all spoken forever about the importance of the pyramid - the dream, the aspiration of clubs developing, they fall, they get promoted. Clubs like Manchester City who 20 years ago were in the first division and playing Gillingham in a play-off final at Wembley become what they are now. Leicester City now have punched above their weight.
"So I think you are moving all that dream, that aspiration, and I think that's sad and very dangerous."
He believes there are two driving factors attracting clubs to the Super League - "greed" and "desperation".
"A number of these clubs, not all of them, have handled their affairs very badly, they are hugely in debt. I think one of the English clubs, you can work out who it may be, I think has more or less a billion pounds of debt... we all know the Spanish clubs have massive debts," he said.
"So I think this is a way of dealing with a desperate situation which COVID has accentuated. And one of the things that hasn't happened in football... there has been no wages control, there has been no reduction in massive players' wages during this difficult period when clubs' incomes have gone down.
"So the whole industry has sort of contrived to produce a sort of critical situation where certainly greed is a factor, but I think desperation is as well."
He said he envisaged a "complex, expensive and very divisive" legal battle between the football authorities and the breakaway group.
"World football needs to get its act together and needs to put as much pressure on these clubs as possible to make sure this doesn't happen," he said, adding that he would support measures such as barring the players involved from international games.
Chelsea Supporters' Trust said it would demand answers to the "unforgivable" proposals.
"Our members and football supporters across the world have experienced the ultimate betrayal," read the group's statement.
"This is a decision of greed to line the pockets of those at the top and it has been made with no consideration for the loyal supporters, our history, our future or the future of football in this country. This is unforgivable. Enough is enough."
Liverpool supporters' group Spirit of Shankly also slammed the decision of US-based owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG), saying the club is "ours not theirs".
"#Embarrassing as fan representatives we are appalled and completely oppose this decision," read a statement on Twitter.
"FSG have ignored fans in their relentless and greedy pursuit of money. Football is ours not theirs. Our football club is ours not theirs."
In addition, Liverpool supporters' group Spion Kop 1906 announced they are removing all their banners and flags from the Kop in protest.
"We feel we can no longer give our support to a club which puts financial greed above integrity of the game," the group said.
Manchester United Supporters' Trust and Arsenal Supporters' Trust also called for the Super League proposals to be scrapped.
"A "Super League" based on a closed shop of self-selected wealthy clubs goes against everything football and Manchester United should stand for," read a statement from the Manchester United group.
"We urge everyone included in this proposal including Manchester United to immediately withdraw from this proposal."
Arsenal Supporters' Trust said: "This represents the death of everything that football should be about. As fans we want to see Arsenal play in competitions based on sporting merit and competitive balance. The AST will do everything we can to oppose this."
Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST) warned the "future of our club is at stake", while Manchester City's Official Supporters Club felt the plans demonstrated "zero regard for the game's traditions".
"We call on ENIC (English National Investment Company), the temporary custodians of our great club, to distance themselves from any rebel group and to consider the implications fully before making decisions that will fundamentally change the course of history for Tottenham Hotspur forever," read a THST statement. "The future of our club is at stake."
Manchester City's Official Supporters Club posted under an image of the Grim Reaper kicking a football, with a statement that read: "This proposed new competition has no sporting merit and would seem to be motivated by greed.
"Furthermore it has been created without the knowledge or input of any supporters groups and once again shows those involved have zero regard for the game's traditions .
"These owners, irrespective of where they come from, seem to think football belongs to them; it doesn't it belongs to us - the supporters - irrespective of which team we support."
Former England, Tottenham and Barcelona striker Gary Lineker tweeted: "Football is nothing without its fans. We've seen that clearly over the last 12 months.
"If fans stand as one against this anti-football pyramid scheme, it can be stopped in its tracks."
The Premier League's record goalscorer, Alan Shearer, said it should retaliate by banning the clubs involved.
Speaking via Coral, the former England striker said: "These 12 clubs dropped a huge grenade on the sport with this announcement, and the Premier League should respond with a grenade of their own and say, okay, you're going to be banned from the Premier League from next season, that's how they should deal with this.
"These clubs want to have their cake and eat it, they think they can play these super league games in midweek and their domestic leagues at weekends, but I hope the leagues say no, that's not happening."
His sentiments were echoed by former England footballer and football manager Peter Reid, who told Sky News: "I can't get my head around the new competition, where you are in a league and there is no relegation. I think competition is one of the greatest things in sport and that doesn't sit right by me.
"And the elite? Who's got the right to call football clubs elite? I'm not having a go at Tottenham here because it's a great football club, I think Wigan won the FA Cup the last time Tottenham won a trophy. So don't give me all that rubbish about elite."
He said TV networks had done a great job televising the game during the pandemic, but added: "I haven't enjoyed it because there are no fans in the stadiums. The fans have got power, and I implore fans - some fans will agree with this - fans that don't agree with this: don't go to the game, don't buy the merchandise... Football is hopeless without the fans. I don't think this has been thought through. The elitism about it is driving me mad."
Reid said he feared the elite players would be fielded in the Super League "and the Premier League will be devalued".
"I love football, but I love the competition in football. I love the fans being there, and I tell you what, if you've got an elitism: nah, not for me," he added.
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said: "The Premier League has been run amazingly.
"We all know it's a business but what happens to the fans, the memories fans have had over the years? Are they just forgotten about for the sake of money?
"I think it's an absolute disgrace, to be honest."
The new mid-week competition will have 12 European teams including AC Milan, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Real Madrid.
A statement said: "It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable."
UEFA along with football authorities in England, Spain and Italy have all expressed their opposition to it, while French and German clubs have refused to sign up to the new league
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, which is home to two of the Super League founder clubs, tweeted: "That phrase 'the game's gone' always used to annoy me.
"But with VAR and now this, nothing else better sums up where we are. It's the phrase of the day. #TheGamesGone."
A BT spokesperson said: "BT recognises the concerns raised by many of football's leading voices and fans, and believes the formation of a European Super League could have a damaging effect to the long term health of football in this country.
"As a sport broadcaster showing Premier League, UEFA club football and National League football as well as being lead partner for all the Home Nations football teams, we strongly believe that football makes a significant positive contribution to people's lives at every level, and this needs to be protected."