By Donovan Levine
Editor-In-Chief
Announced late at night on April 18, the 12 European soccer teams AC Milan, Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur tried and failed to launch a new, top-tier competition composed primarily of the biggest teams across Europe from the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga, according to Vox.
The decision was made purely by the owners of the various teams rather than a unified decision by the fans. Fans responded in outrage via social media and even protesting in person, seeing the decision as purely a money grab and football team owners getting too much power—and with it, greed—in their positions.
The Super League would have taken the biggest and most elite teams from smaller leagues across Europe, which would have left the smaller teams to be the only revenue source for those leagues. It also would have interrupted long-standing rivalries between already existing teams.
Protests from fan outrage started in Stamford Bridge, forcing six clubs from the Premier League to back out.
Fans congregated outside Anfield with signs, anger and a saxophonist playing ABBA’s “Money, Money, Money” as the Liverpool team boarded their bus. Fans travelled to Elland Road to play the song on repeat as Liverpool went on to face Leeds United that evening, according to ESPN.
Even European leaders such as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron pushed for the league to disband as soon as it was established.
Every stakeholder in football came out with statements made in opposition to the league. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust (AST) went as far as to label it the “death of everything football should be about.”
Ed Woodward, the chair of Manchester United, resigned on April 20 under pressure from fans and management, reported by Mark Ogden.
The President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Aleksander Ceferin showed clear opposition against the breakaway teams, calling them “snakes, liars, and narcissists,” earning the favor and approval among football lovers.
The decision by these dissenting teams showed a clear misjudgement of fans’ wishes and sentiments.
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