Boris Johnson poses as a fighter for the football fans
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reiterated his opposition to a European Super League. “Rest assured that I will do everything I can to show this ridiculous plan the red card,” wrote the head of government in a guest article for the tabloid newspaper “The Sun” (Tuesday edition). The Super League does not offer any equal opportunities, nor do all clubs have the same development opportunities.
The attraction of the game lies in the possibility, “as far away as it may be,” that one day every club will surpass itself, said Johnson. With Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, six of the twelve clubs that initially want to team up as a society come from the English Premier League.
“If Leicester City can win the Premier League and Nottingham Forest can crown themselves King of Europe not just once but twice, then your team can – maybe, very maybe – too,” wrote Johnson. He emphasized that the game belongs to the fans, the majority of whom reject the billion-dollar Super League project. “A year of empty stadiums has reminded us all that football without fans is a bloodless spectacle.”
The British government has announced that it will examine all possibilities to prevent the Super League from happening. Sports Minister Oliver Dowden presented drastic ideas in Parliament on Tuesday to prevent English clubs from participating, including extra taxes, fewer security guards on match days and a denial of work permits for newcomers from abroad.
However, the Johnson administration is now itself under great pressure. Anything but a U-turn by the six clubs could be interpreted as a political failure. The subject has long since become a political issue in England. Prince William, the President of the Football Association (FA), also intervened. He would “share the concerns of the fans,” declared the number two of the British line of succession.
Meanwhile, the Super League becomes a case for the UK Parliament. The responsible parliamentary committee wants to investigate possible consequences of the billion dollar project, as the committee chairman Julian Knight said on Tuesday. There should be a hearing on this. “We are in talks with key players and would like to hear from the most important interest groups about the effects of the new proposals for a European Super League,” said the Conservative Party politician. “Nobody is taboo in our determination to do what is necessary to secure the precious enjoyment that sport offers people and to protect its legacy for the future.”
The 14 Premier League clubs not involved in the Super League plans discussed on Tuesday how to proceed and called on the “Big Six” to leave the elite league. “The Premier League is considering all available measures to prevent the progress of the competition and hold the shareholders involved to account according to their rules,” said the league. The Super League participants were not invited to the meeting. The remaining clubs rejected the billion-dollar project “unanimously and energetically,” it said.
The Premier League will now work with fan groups, the government and other associations for the good of the game. She called on the Super League participants to give up their plans immediately. The league association thanked the fans. “Your reaction proves how much our open league pyramid and the football community mean to the people.” The league had previously stood behind UEFA, which threatens the clubs involved with the exclusion from its competitions.
