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Greg Evans
Apr 21, 2021
Rob Pinney/Getty Images
Plans for the controversial European Super League lay in tatters on Wednesday, after the six English teams involved in the breakaway league pulled out following a universal backlash.
Fans, pundits, players and managers would have directly been affected by the league, which aimed to replace the Champions League with a set competition of 20 teams, 15 of which would not be relegated regardless of results.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were all set to be involved in the league but, slowly on Tuesday, all began to back away and confirm they would no longer be taking part. Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid dropped out on Wednesday morning leaving the future of The Super League in serious doubt.
As a result, the six English teams have issued statements with some apologising for attaching their names to the scheme. Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman of Man Utd, has also resigned and will leave the role at the end of the year.
As it stands, just, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Juventus remain but there are rumours that even some of those teams have their own concerns and trepidations about the project. In fact, Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, one of the masterminds behind the project, has suggested it can no longer go ahead.
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The reaction to the news, which has dominated the football world for the past few days, was one of jubilation and a sense that fan action and speaking out could actually have an effect when everyone was united on the same point.
As the news filtered through, fans gathered outside Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea were playing Brighton, celebrated and social media was soon flooded with memes mocking those who were behind The Super League, who are now left licking their wounds.
"I once created a European Super League but screwed up the launch so badly it collapsed within 2 days after all 12… https://t.co/YZQPYnbATF— James McManus (@James McManus) 1618943973
RIP Super League 19th April 2021 - 20th April 2021 https://t.co/JWFzop3qPE— Scott Bryan (@Scott Bryan) 1618956042
the Super League teams after less than two days https://t.co/P8pLI3v37i— Louis Staples (@Louis Staples) 1618949189
I love the idea that some superrich twats spent months planning a project that fans undid in under 48 hours.— Ana Oppenheim🌹⚡ (@Ana Oppenheim🌹⚡) 1618945199
The greatest climbdown in football history since Stuart McCall fell off that car roof.— Who Ate All The Pies (@Who Ate All The Pies) 1618945296
"Dear Lord, what a sad little life. You ruined my league, completely, so you could still have the fans" https://t.co/EWRCkMTcf3— Alexander Brown (@Alexander Brown) 1618944271
jp morgan chase. tim 'shippers' shipman. no other living human soul. your european super league took one helluva beating— Stan Account (@Stan Account) 1618944365
"Dear Lord, what a sad little life. You ruined my league, completely, so you could still have the fans" https://t.co/EWRCkMTcf3— Alexander Brown (@Alexander Brown) 1618944271
There’ll be no European Super League then, I’ll tell the 16-24 year olds https://t.co/zR0JSaGAtX— jg (@jg) 1618943236
Hearing a mysterious video message was sent to owners of Chelsea and City earlier today https://t.co/d8x21qyd86— Jamie Borthwick (@Jamie Borthwick) 1618943549
The European Super League https://t.co/QWyTLX3pYL— Barney Ronay (@Barney Ronay) 1618990787
“we joined the #superleague by mistake” https://t.co/iWjEbtir8j— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻) 1618989945
I had a loaf that lasted longer than the #SuperLeague— Janey Godley (@Janey Godley) 1618991852
Fitting that the attempt to remove relegation from football lasted from the 18th to the 20th— Ivo Graham (@Ivo Graham) 1618958050
Just eleven hours short of Britney Spears’ 55 hour marriage to Jason Alexander— Peter Staunton (@Peter Staunton) 1618943792
This reminds me of when the McMahons came out at the start of Raw to apologise for a shitty product and promise cha… https://t.co/ycg307JTtW— Little woke boy on the right (@Little woke boy on the right) 1618956224
Others mocked the chairmen who have since stepped down over the debacle.
Oh well. Back to the day job. It's been emotional. I'll really miss Manchester. https://t.co/hd2UUMZ4Fm— James Oh Brien (@James Oh Brien) 1618948403
https://t.co/udRoKdnqR9 https://t.co/uSuQP0PdlS— Matthew Stanger (@Matthew Stanger) 1618946107
Joel Glazer, Andrea Agnelli, Florentino Perez, Stanley Kroenke... John Henry!! Ed Woodward!! Your boys took one hell of a beating!— 🇬🇭 Carl Anka 🇬🇭 (@🇬🇭 Carl Anka 🇬🇭) 1618946545
https://t.co/Nu4bAvc0zT https://t.co/O2acJW7VFW— Matt Zarb-Cousin (@Matt Zarb-Cousin) 1618994660
Some praised the players who were said to be involved in the revolt.
He was built for this since DAY 1 https://t.co/4c4qJSXbrK— NBK (@NBK) 1618930950
“So I gathered up the lads - kicked in Woodward’s door and the rest was history” 😂😂😂 https://t.co/DR2BgLO7we— Martin Bushby (@Martin Bushby) 1618947105
Clubs and players – both active and retired – and even leagues got involved too.
Lovely scenes this morning scrolling through my Twitter.... 👋🏽 cheerioooooo #SuperLeague https://t.co/ivtZDakkhn— Rio Ferdinand (@Rio Ferdinand) 1618992727
💥 When you wake up after that European #SuperLeague night https://t.co/3nNUyz4cCz— Russian Premier Liga (@Russian Premier Liga) 1618986842
I have now gone through all games since the oldest football-club, Sheffield FC, was founded 1857. And it’s officia… https://t.co/Z7Bf3V9c2G— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🏳️🌈 🇳🇴 (@Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🏳️🌈 🇳🇴) 1618989401
https://t.co/IhhCtqjsmk— AFC Ajax (@AFC Ajax) 1618951414
Ok bye 👋🏾— Raheem Sterling (@Raheem Sterling) 1618950332
https://t.co/DSeDnghQ37— Sevilla FC (@Sevilla FC) 1618945220
https://t.co/Hkjs4QzHFx— Aymeric Laporte (@Aymeric Laporte) 1618952293
The whole thing almost overshadowed the premiere of the trailer for Ted Lasso season 2.
"Now, where I come from you don't become super just by calling yourself the 'Super League.' No sir. Super is earned… https://t.co/9lU0ReYLeV— Joe Polito (@Joe Polito) 1618940066
Ted Lasso can singlehandedley destroy the Super League with his postive mindset and cookie recipe https://t.co/Nrqf7KTQ4S— PFT Commenter (@PFT Commenter) 1618939523
It remains to be seen what will happen next and if the four teams remaining will also pull out of the league or try to recruit others. But, at the moment, there is a sense of optimism that if fans are united then football as we know it can be preserved forever and possibly turned into something even better.
Update: AC Milan has since pulled out of the Super League. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has since claimed that none of the 12 clubs have not left the league yet as “You cannot get out of the contract like this - they are binding contracts.” He added that the “the project is on standby” and that the competition was created to “save football.”
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