Football fans across Europe unite to condemn European Super League idea

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REUTERS

Football fans across Europe have united to condemn plans for a breakaway European Super League.

Led by Football Supporters Europe (FSE), supporter groups of the top 200 ranked Uefa clubs have come together to express their dismay.

The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust and the West Ham Official Supporters’ Club are among those to sign the statement that calls for plans over a European Super League to end.

Such a prospect has long been mooted in football, but has come to the fore again recently during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The FSE have warned it would “destroy the European model of sport” and end up “concentrating even more wealth and power in the hands of a dozen or so elite clubs”.

In a statement on Tuesday they said: “We are all united in our opposition to the creation of a European Super League—an unpopular, illegitimate, and dangerous scheme in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of fans.

“It would destroy the European model of sport, which is based on commonly accepted principles such as sporting merit, promotion and relegation, qualification to European competitions via domestic success, and financial solidarity.

“In the process, it would also undermine the economic foundations of European football, concentrating even more wealth and power in the hands of a dozen or so elite clubs.

“We recognise that the game is in desperate need of broad reform.

“But proposals to this end must seek to revive the competitive balance in European competitions, protect domestic leagues, promote the interests of fans, and encourage fairer revenue distribution.

“A European Super League would achieve none of these objectives—quite the opposite.”

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