LONDON (CU)_British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised football fans that he will do everything possible to block English football teams from competing in the new European Super League.
The unveiling of this breakaway tournament led to a furious backlash against the six richest clubs of England which are set to join the new venture. Protests were held outside grounds around the country on Monday (19 April), against the proposed league put forward by Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United, together with six other Spanish and Italian clubs.
The plan also prompted widespread criticism from the English Premier League and the FA, while UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin warned that players who take part in the proposed league could be banned from participating in the World Cup and Euros.
Meanwhile, PM Johnson has assured fans that he will do everything he can to put an end to this “ludicrous plan”. “It is your game – and you can rest assured that I’m going to do everything I can to give this ludicrous plan a straight red,” he wrote in the Sun.
Sources have revealed that the government is looking to block the breakaway tournament by introducing regulations, similar to those followed in Germany, which will require all clubs to be owned by at least 51 per cent of fans. This would prevents corporations from having full voting rights over the future direction of any club.
Meanwhile, Culture and Sports Secretary Oliver Dowden told the House of Commons on Monday that the government is examining every option “from governance to competition law to mechanisms” in order to block the plans for the new league and protect the national game. Dowden added that he will be launching a wider fan-led review of the game which will be led by former sports minister Tracey Crouch.
The Duke of Cambridge, the President of the Football Association, was among those who expressed their dismay over the damage the new league would cause to “the game we love”.
“Now, more than ever, we must protect the entire football community – from the top level to the grassroots – and the values of competition and fairness at its core,” he said on Twitter.
