Less than 48 hours after stunning the soccer world and earning a massive backlash from fans, sponsors, and soccer's governing bodies, the Super League seems to have crashed and burned.
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Sunday saw six English Premier League clubs and three teams apiece from Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga – AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and the Tottenham Hotspur – announce the new scheme in a bid to challenge the Union of European Football Associations' (UEFA) Champions League format, which has dominated European football for decades.
The move by the sport's 12 wealthiest clubs was slammed by football authorities and political officials in the UK and Europe, as well as by UEFA and the International Football Federation, the world's governing body for soccer. It spurred waves of fan protests, petitions, and demonstrations outside the teams' respective home stadiums, where fans demanded they roll back the unprecedented move.
The pressure seems to have worked and as of Wednesday morning, all six Premier League teams announced they would be withdrawing from the Super League.
According to British media, Manchester City were the first club to pull out, followed by Chelsea. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham were quick to follow suit.
As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League.
We made a mistake, and we apologise for it.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 20, 2021
The Spanish and Italian members of the Super League have yet to comment on the move by the six Premier League teams, but insiders said that Inter and AC Milan were mulling a similar exit. Sports pundits said Wednesday that the European clubs were unlikely to sustain the scheme without their British counterparts, all but spelling the new Super League's demise.
The BBC cited Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who was named the Super League's chairman, as saying it was formed "to save football" because young people are "no longer interested" in the game because of "a lot of poor quality games."
An official statement by the Super League said Wednesday that "given the current circumstances we shall reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project, always having in mind our goals of offering fans the best experience possible while enhancing solidarity payments for the entire football community."
We can confirm that we have formally commenced procedures to withdraw from the group developing proposals for a European Super League (ESL).#THFC ⚪️ #COYS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 20, 2021
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin welcomed the UK clubs' move, saying, "They are back in the fold now and I know they have a lot to offer not just to our competitions but to the whole of the European game.
"The important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that the game enjoyed before this and move forward together."
Statements by English football's "big six" offered apologies to the fans and assured them they only had the sport's best interest at heart.
Arsenal said the club "did not intend to cause such distress" and had joined the Super League because they "did not want to be left behind" and wanted to ensure the club's future.
"We didn't make the right decision here, which we fully accept," Arsenal said. "Our aim is always to make the right decisions for this great football club, to protect it for the future and to take us forward."
We will not be participating in the European Super League.#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 20, 2021
Manchester United said they "listened carefully to the reaction from our fans, the UK government and other key stakeholders" in making their decision to pull out of the Super League.
"We remain committed to working with others across the football community to come up with sustainable solutions to the long-term challenges facing the game."
Liverpool's statement said the club had "received representations from various key stakeholders, both internally and externally" before reaching their decision and thanked them for their "valuable contributions".
Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy said the club regretted the "anxiety and upset" caused by the proposal.
Levy told British media said that the club felt it was "important" to take part in "a possible new structure that sought to better ensure financial fair play and financial sustainability whilst delivering significantly increased support for the wider football pyramid.
"We should like to thank all those supporters who presented their considered opinions."
Chelsea confirmed the club had "begun the formal procedures for withdrawal from the group" saying that after having had "time to consider the matter fully" it was decided that their "continued participation in these plans would not be in the best interests of the club, our supporters or the wider football community."
Manchester City said they have "formally enacted the procedures to withdraw from the group developing plans for a European Super League."
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