Chelsea, Spurs, Man City And United Among 24 Teams That Have Said NO To European Super League

Author:
Robert Summerscales
Publish date:
Dec 21, 2023 8:07 PM EST

The European Super League project is back in the headlines after a new plan for a 64-team tournament was announced on Thursday.

Plans were published by A22 Sports Management an hour after the European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA and FIFA had broken competition law by threatening to sanction clubs that signed up for the ESL.

ESL organizers want their new tournament to rival or even replace UEFA's Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League tournaments.

Real Madrid and Barcelona both swiftly voiced their support for the proposal on Thursday but many more clubs publicly distanced themselves from the ESL project.

Before midnight on Thursday, four of the six Premier League clubs that had previously signaled their intent to take part in the ESL back in April 2021 - before a fan backlash forced a mass U-turn - had issued statements to rule themselves out.

A club statement from Manchester United read: "Our position has not changed.

"We remain fully committed to participation in UEFA competitions, and to positive cooperation with UEFA, the Premier League, and fellow clubs through the ECA (European Club Association) on the continued development of the European game."

A general view of Old Trafford in 2022 — Manchester United's "position has not changed" regarding participation in a European Super League despite Thursday's ruling in the European Court of Justice
IMAGO/PA Images/Zac Goodwin

Reigning European champions Manchester City then issued a very similar statement.

It read: "Manchester City Football Club confirmed in 2021 that it had formally enacted the procedures to withdraw from the group developing plans for a European Super League. Our position has not changed.

"We remain committed to the values of European football, and we will continue to work with fellow clubs through the ECA and participate in UEFA competitions."

Chelsea's statement read: "The judgment issued today by the European Court of Justice does not change Chelsea FC's position.

"We firmly believe that, by working with the Premier League, The FA, other European clubs through our strong relationship with the ECA, and with UEFA and FIFA, we can, together, continue to develop the European game for the benefit of everyone."

A general view of a Chelsea-branded corner flag at Stamford Bridge — Chelsea issued a club statement regarding the ESL on Thursday
IMAGO/Robert Sambles

Tottenham Hotspur also stated that "our position has not changed".

But Liverpool and Arsenal both refrained from commenting on Thursday.

However, many other major clubs from around Europe made it known that they were not in support of a Super League breakaway.

Atletico Madrid said: "The European football family doesn't want the European Super League.

"Germany, France, England, Italy, Spain [except Real Madrid and Barcelona] don't want the Super League.

"We're in favor of protecting the European football family, protecting domestic leagues and, through them, qualification for European competitions on the pitch each season."

Celtic, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Porto, Inter Milan and Roma also pledged to stick with UEFA, rather than joining Real and Barca on the short list of ESL rebels.

After witnessing the general reaction to the latest Super League proposal, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin appeared to mock the small number of clubs that had spoken out in support for it.

Ceferin quipped: "I hope they start their top competition as soon as possible… with two clubs."