Gary Neville has castigated Premier League teams - including Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool - for looking to join a European Super League.
The competition is seen as a direct snub to UEFA's Champions League reforms, due to be announced on Monday.
Neville commented on the reports during Manchester United's eventual 3-1 win over Burnley in the Premier League.
Gary Neville on Super League
"I'm a Manchester United fan and have been for 40 years. I'm disgusted, absolutely disgusted. I'm disgusted with Manchester United and Liverpool most. Liverpool pretend 'You'll Never Walk Alone', the people's club, the fans' club.
"Manchester United were born out of workers from around here, and they are entering a league without competition, that they can't be relegated from? It is an absolute disgrace.
"We have to wrestle back the power from clubs in this country at the top of this league, and that includes my club. I have been calling, as part of another group, for an independent regulator to stop this happening. It is pure greed, they are impostors.
"The owners of [Manchester United], Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City are nothing to do with football in this country. There is a hundred-odd years of history from fans in this country from fans that have lived and loved these clubs - they need protecting.
"I have benefited from football hugely. I made money from football and I invest in a football club. I am not against money in football, but the principles and ethos of fair competition and the rights to play the games so that if Leicester win the Premier League they are in the Champions League [is right.]"
Neville thought of fitting punishments.
"Deduct them all points tomorrow, put them at the bottom of the league, and take their money off them. You have got to stamp on this. It is a criminal act against football fans in this country.
"Make no mistake about it, this is the biggest sport in the world, in this country - and it is a criminal act against the fans, simple as that. Deduct them points, deduct them money, and punish them."
The owners didn't escape criticism.
"They are bottle merchants, you never hear from the owners of these clubs. They've got no voice. They'll probably hide come out in a few weeks and say they were only talking about it.
"In the midst of a pandemic, football clubs going bust at National League level going bust nearly [...] and these are having phone calls to get more money? It is an absolute joke."
Disowning the clubs
🗣 "It's a criminal act against football fans in this country." 🤬@GNev2 is furious with the big six clubs signing up to the 'European Super League' pic.twitter.com/eXZDyzovJg
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 18, 2021
Neville reserved his strongest comments for Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United.
"This is disowning your own club stuff, this. This is disowning your own club. I mean, seriously - how could you even think to watch a Super League here when you've left your 14 clubs behind to play against each other? Championship clubs, dead - EFL Leagues 1 and 2 clubs - dead.
"Your pyramid system that you've fought for 150 years has gone - because of six clubs? Absolutely embarrassing - it is never going to happen. If they break away, punish them straight away. If they announce a letter of intent has been signed, they should be punished heavily.
"Massive fines, points deduction, take the title off them. Give the title to Burnley or Fulham - relegate Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. Those three clubs are the history of this country and they should suffer the most. Chelsea, City - new money in the game has come forward. I'm not happy about them either, Tottenham I'm not bothered about.
"Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal should know better. The tradition that runs through those clubs [...] they leave a lot to be desired.
"Liverpool Football Club - seriously? You go onto the streets of Liverpool - I don't like them and they don't like me - but what I always thought about them was that they were honest and they had integrity. They would look after their people, look after their own.
"That's gone - forget about that. If they sign that letter of intent, they are as bad as the rest of them."
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