It is being reported that Manchester City and Chelsea are reconsidering their decision to sign up for a European Super League.
In the aftermath of Sunday's revelation that Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur had decided to join some of Europe's biggest clubs to form a breakaway competition, the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative.
Although none of the 12 clubs involved have shown any sign that they may be regretting their decision to join up, it has been reported that two English clubs may already be reconsidering their stance.
Leeds United players wearing 'Football Is For The Fans' shirts during the warm up prior to kick-off of the Premier League match at Elland Road, Leeds. Picture date: Monday April 19, 2021.Oliver Holt, Chief Sports Writer for The Mail on Sunday, has reported that cracks are beginning to appear already.
"Hearing the first cracks may be beginning to appear in the ugly, misshapen edifice of the ESL," he tweeted shortly after 1.00 am on Tuesday morning.
"Told two English clubs are close to losing their nerve."
Hearing the first cracks may be beginning to appear in the ugly, misshapen edifice of the ESL. Told two English clubs are close to losing their nerve.
— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) April 20, 2021
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Later on Monday morning, it was reported by The Daily Mail that the two clubs in question were Chelsea and Manchester City.
...However, in many ways I'm most disappointed by those two clubs as they were the two who broke the traditional cartel in England and improved the competition of the Premier League. Now they have joined something that denies others the same opportunity.
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) April 19, 2021
Overall, the reaction to the Super League plans has been overwhelmingly negative.
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville spoke out strongly against the club's owners on Sky Sports during Monday Night Football.
"I feel slightly complicit. I’ve stayed pretty quiet in terms of the Glazers over the years," he said. "I’ve done that because I’ve thought when the club was taken over as a Plc you knew it could be bought. It was out of the control of players, fans and everybody.
“I believe in a free market, and I’ve always thought what’s the answer to the Glazers, who takes them out? Russia, China, state money for the 2-3 billion it would need?
“I’ve stayed quiet on the basis that it’s still Manchester United, you can still watch the lads play, I can be happy and sad, I can still watch football in this country, they take dividends out, I can live with that slightly, but what I can’t live with is attacking every single football fan in this country.
"They have stepped over the mark. They are scavengers and need booting out of this football club and booting out of this country. We have got to come together. It might be too late, there’ll be people at Manchester United, fans 15 years ago who will say it’s too late. It’s never too late, we have got to stop this. It is absolutely critical we do."
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