SM
Brighton vs. Southampton: 17 hrs 23 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data

Football authorities to consider next move in fight against ESL

:Headline: Football authorities to consider next move in fight against ESL:
The 'Big Six' clubs will be excluded from an emergency Premier League meeting on Tuesday to discuss a response to the proposals.
Sports Mole

Football authorities will consider their next moves in the fight against the proposed European Super League on Tuesday as the 12 clubs signed up press ahead with the plans.

Tensions escalated on Monday night as fans gathered outside Elland Road to voice their anger during the build-up to Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at Leeds – a match in which the Reds’ Champions League qualification hopes were dented but which would in future be a dead rubber if the ‘closed-shop’ plans go ahead.

As shirts were burned outside the stadium, inside Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp walked a tight rope as he reiterated his own belief that a Super League is a bad idea while insisting neither he nor his players had been consulted by the club’s owners.

Leeds were happy to stir things up with their training kit before the match with Liverpool (Lee Smith/PA)

“I have no issues with the Champions League, I like the competitive factor of football,” Klopp said.

“I like the fact that West Ham might play in the Champions League next year. I don’t want them to because we want to do that, but I like that they have the chance.”

Leeds were happy to stir things up, with players warming up in t-shirts bearing the Champions League logo and the slogan “Earn It”, and the storm caused by Sunday’s bombshell announcement is forecast to continue for some time to come.

Liverpool and the rest of England’s ‘Big Six’ signed up to the venture – Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea – will be excluded from an emergency Premier League meeting on Tuesday to discuss a response to proposals which threaten the league’s competitive balance.

Gianni Infantino is due to address the UEFA Congress on Tuesday (Nick Potts/PA)

Further afield, eyes and ears will be on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is due to address the UEFA Congress where the launch of a revamped Champions League has been completely undermined.

The world governing body issued a statement late on Sunday which said FIFA “disapproved” of the Super League plans, but UEFA – whose president Aleksander Ceferin has threatened to ban the breakaway clubs from European competition “as soon as possible” – will want to hear much stronger backing on Tuesday.

Ceferin certainly did not hold back himself, calling Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli – one of the architects of the new league who quit as chairman of the European Clubs Association to oversee its introduction – a “liar” and the clubs involved “snakes”.

Prince William, president of the Football Association, voiced his concern over a plan which would see the breakaway clubs reap the benefits of a lucrative new competition without the threat of relegation. He said the proposal risked “damage” to the “game we love”.

Former England captain David Beckham also issued a warning. He said on Instagram: “We need football to be for everyone. We need football to be fair and we need competitions based on merit. Unless we protect these values the game we love is in danger.”

The political response was forceful too. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told the House of Commons the Government stood ready to do “whatever it takes” to prevent the clubs from breaking away if the football authorities were unable to do so themselves.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a round table with representatives from football governing bodies as well as fans’ representatives on Tuesday to discuss the proposed breakaway competition.

UEFA is taking legal advice on the sanctions it might be able to impose, from expelling clubs to banning players from international competition including Euro 2020, though this may prove to be a negotiating tactic as the two camps size each other up.

“I didn’t say they’re not allowed to come (and talk), that they are banned from European football forever or something like that,” Ceferin said.

“It’s nothing personal here, maybe with Agnelli it’s a bit personal because I know him more.

“But for the rest I don’t want them to come begging us to take them back – I just want them to respect us.”

However, in an interview with Spanish TV, Super League chairman Florentino Perez was vehement that expulsion from the Champions League would not happen.

“It will not happen, the law protects us,” he told El Chiringuito. “We will not get into legal issues. It is impossible.”

In his first public comments since the league was announced, Mr Perez said the Super League would help the sport “evolve” in the wake of the pandemic.

He added: “When you don’t have income beyond television, the way to make it profitable is to make more attractive matches. That’s how we started working.

“We came to the conclusion that by doing a Super League during the week, instead of the Champions, we would be able to mitigate the lost income (from the pandemic).”

When shown a montage of critical comments from the likes of Gary Neville, Klopp and Johnson, Perez added: “All those people, they don’t know the truth. They have said it is a league for the rich and it’s not true. It’s a league to save football.”

body check tags ::

amp_article__443941 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2021-04-20 08:00:51:
html db last update - 2021-04-20 08:00:51 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html

Click here for more stories about Oliver Dowden

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Share this article now:


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!
Read more about Oliver Dowden Aleksander Ceferin Andrea Agnelli Gianni Infantino Jurgen Klopp David Beckham Boris Johnson Florentino Perez Football
Follow @SportsMole for the latest breaking news stories, and follow @sm_headlines to get every headline from Sports Mole
Recommended Next on SM
Lift-off for Amorim: Hojlund hits brace in Man United win over Bodo/Glimt
Yamal, Araujo, Torres latest: Barcelona injury list for Las Palmas clash
Manchester City planning Josko Gvardiol move?

Page options

Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

history www

Lift-off for Amorim: Hojlund hits brace in Man United win over Bodo/Glimt

1

LF

Christopher Nkunku breaks Chelsea European goalscoring record vs. Heidenheim

2

CN

Preview: Al Ettifaq vs. Al Ittihad - prediction, team news, lineups

3

PA

Preview: Rio Ave vs. Moreirense - prediction, team news, lineups

4

PR

Team News: Who is in Amorim's Man United XI vs. Bodo/Glimt?

5

TN

Chelsea continue flawless Conference League campaign with tough win over Heidenheim

6

CC

Preview: Crystal Palace vs. Newcastle - prediction, team news, lineups

7

PC

Preview: Brentford vs. Leicester - prediction, team news, lineups

8

PB

Preview: PSG vs. Nantes - prediction, team news, lineups

9

PP

Camavinga recovery timeline revealed as Real Madrid confirm injury

10

CR


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .