It has been a whirlwind day, so I thought I’d round up a number of points that probably got lost in amongst all the madness.
The founders of the European Super League, who are worth a combined gazillion pounds, will borrow the money to fund the new league from JP Morgan.
They have also committed to the new league for 23 years:
https://twitter.com/footballdaily/status/1384124588682977287
So that will be 23 years of their players not playing at the Euros or World Cup, although it remains to be seen how well this will stand up to the inevitable legal challenges set to follow from both sides:
UEFA says players in the Super League clubs will be banned from playing in national teams including for the World Cup and Euros
For more on this and other news visit https://t.co/8OWd2TNmj1
— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) April 19, 2021
Probably should have just been racist, then they would have been allowed to play.
The European Super League clubs have already begun talks with the likes of Amazon, Facebook, and Disney over broadcast rights which you will be expected to pay for with your cash or soul, depending on the platform.
https://twitter.com/City_Chief/status/1384122642056183812
Clubs would, however, have the right to show four games a season on their own platforms.
⚽️20% of the pot would be merit money “distributed in the same manner as the current English Premier League merit-based system” according to where clubs finish in the competition or group if they don’t make the knock-out stage
— Łukasz Bączek (@Lu_Class_) April 19, 2021
⚽️The remaining 15% would get a “commercial share based on club awareness”
⚽️A cap of 55% of revenues permitted to be spent on salaries and transfers (net)
⚽️A ‘Financial Sustainability Group’ would monitor clubs’ spending— Łukasz Bączek (@Lu_Class_) April 19, 2021
From myself I will add that the distribution of money and limits between clubs are very similar to the professional leagues in the US
— Łukasz Bączek (@Lu_Class_) April 19, 2021
The other 14 clubs in the Premier League are set to hold ‘crisis’ talks on Tuesday to work out what their next move will be.
The Premier League's 14 remaining clubs to hold crisis talks on Tuesday to discuss their next move following announcement of breakaway European Super League by the 'top six'. More on @MailSport shortly
— Sami Mokbel (@SamiMokbel81_DM) April 19, 2021
Contrary to earlier reports, Stan Kroenke will not be a vice-chairman of the new European Super League.
Stan Kroenke has not been appointed as a vice-chairman of the Super League. Arsenal just have a place on the board, along with the other 11 clubs.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) April 19, 2021
The players and manager were, it seems, kept in the dark before the announcement:
Arteta was asked twice in his press conference about the Super League yesterday and repeatedly said he "knew nothing" about it. pic.twitter.com/IFaTkNVDRl
— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley_) April 19, 2021
Tottenham Hotspur sacked Jose Mourinho less than a week before their League Cup final and it had absolutely, positively nothing to do with the European Super League, honest guv’nor.
Bayern Munich’s coach, Hansi Flick, told the club he wants his contract terminated at the end of the season, although it’s not clear if that is related. There are rumours that he would like the German national job. Bayern Munich have declined the chance to join the European Super League.
UEFA are not taking it all well at all, despite being the ones who opened this door with their insistence that the Champions League was the be-all-and-end-all of football:
"Andrea Agnelli is the biggest disappointment of all, I’ve never seen a person that would lie so many times, so persistently as he did. It’s unbelievable.”
— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) April 19, 2021
Despite saying in 2009 that a European Super League would happen and then saying it was ‘inevitable’ as he left Arsenal in 2018, Arsene Wenger, now at FIFA, doesn’t think it’s a very good idea.
The net is tightening at the clubs in relation to what players say:
https://twitter.com/Nancy_Gillen/status/1384117997053251585
Fans, meanwhile, have been turning up to protest outside their clubs with some of the fastest banners ever produced being displayed:
"Shame on you.
"RIP LFC, 1892-2021."
Liverpool fans aren't having this European Super League and made their opinions clear outside of Anfield today pic.twitter.com/xiQmrtvmso
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 19, 2021
A Tottenham fan has turned up at the training ground to make his feelings clear about the 'European Super League' pic.twitter.com/2W8lcS2UCG
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 19, 2021