Plans have been revealed for a new Super League that will change the face of football as we know it, and the announcement, which was made late on Sunday night, has caused outrage among those who follow the sport.
From the Premier League, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea have all signed up. From Italy, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter have all jumped on board. From Spain, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will participate.
As the discussion about the consequences that this closed door competition will have for the wider game continues, some players have begun to talk about what can be a career-determining moment for many top-level professionals.
Ander Herrera has commented on plans for a European Super League | Xavier Laine / Getty Images
Paris Saint-Germain and former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera have condemned the plans, claiming that rich owners are stealing from the sport.
“I fell in love with popular football, with the football of the fans, in the dream of seeing my heart’s team compete against the biggest,” he said.
PSG’s Ander Herrera has become one of the first high-profile players to talk about the European Super League
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2021
“If this European Super League progresses, these dreams will be over, the illusions of the fans from the teams who are not giants to be able to win on the pitch competing in the best competitions will end.
“I love football and I can not keep quiet about this, I believe in an improved Champions League but not in the rich stealing what the people created, which is nothing but the most beautiful sport on the planet.”
Bruno Fernandes and Joao Cancelo became two of the first players to comment who actually play for two of the so-called founding clubs.
The Man Utd midfielder and Man City defender both shared an Instagram post from their Portugal team-mate Daniel Podence, in which the Wolves man expressed his love for the Champions League under threat.
“The ball. The song. The dream. Zidanes volley … Kakas solo … Liverpool in Athens … Ole in Barcelona … Cris and Seedorf … There [are] some things we can not really pay for it, he wrote.
Fernandes shared the message on his own Instagram story and wrote: “Dreams can not be bought [bought]. “
Former Arsenal and Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil has said his plans | Catherine Ivill – AMA / Getty Images
Mesut Ozil has described this move as “really hard to understand” via his Twitter account. The World Cup winner expressed his concern about the plans.
Children grow up dreaming of winning the World Cup and the Champions League – not a Super League. The enjoyment of big games is that they only happen once or twice a year, not every week. Really hard to understand for all the football fans out there … ⚽?
– Mesut Özil (@ MesutOzil1088) April 19, 2021
“The children grow up dreaming of winning the World Cup and the Champions League – not a Super League,” he wrote. “The fun of big games is that they only happen once or twice a year, not every week. Really hard to understand for all the football fans out there.”
Lovren is not happy with the plans Silvia Lore / Getty Images
The former Liverpool center-back added his voice to the growing anger on Monday.
The Croatian wrote to Twitter: “Football will soon be on the verge of complete collapse. No one is thinking about the bigger picture, only the economic side.
In the near future, football will be on the verge of complete collapse. Nobody thinks about the bigger picture, only the economic side.
I still think we can solve this unpleasant situation.
– Dejan Lovren (@ Dejan06Lovren) April 19, 2021
“I still think we can solve this unpleasant situation.”
Yannick Bolasie strongly opposes plans for a European Super League | Jacques Feeney / Getty Images
The Everton loanee, who currently plays for Middlesbrough, struck no blow when he spoke on the controversial subject, describing those involved as “mercenaries”.
I was a fan before I played football, I’m a fan now and will be after I finish playing … it’s not about me or anyone else, it’s about the millions of fans who follow teams every week in week regardless of success / riches … fun how it starts to get more level & you jump?
– Yannick Bolasie (@YannickBolasie) April 19, 2021
“I was a fan before I played football, I am a fan now and will be after I have finished playing,” he wrote. “It’s not about me or anyone else, it’s about the millions of fans who follow their teams week in and week out regardless of success / wealth. Funny how it starts to get more level and you jump.”
Some real mercenaries … all the values and history thrown out the window ???
– Yannick Bolasie (@YannickBolasie) April 19, 2021
He went on to add in a separate post: “Some real mercenaries, all the values and history threw out the window.”
I grew up loving @ChampionsLeague. Then I got to play in @UWCL. Then I got to win five of them and become the leading goal scorer of all time. It’s a legacy. It is the past, the present and the future, so is the meritocracy in sports. Greed is not the future. pic.twitter.com/8cLlCbMnQd
– Ada S Hegerberg (@AdaStolsmo) April 19, 2021
It was not just men’s players who registered their disapproval. Ada Hegerberg, the initial winner of the Ballon d’Or for women, was strong in her position at the competition, which she claims has plans to expand to women’s games.
She wrote on Twitter: “I grew up loving the Champions League. Then I got to play in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Then I got to win 5 of them and become the leading scorer all the time. It’s a legacy. It’s the past, the current and future, that’s meritocracy in sport. Greed is not the future. “
This so-called “Superleague” is anything but “Super”. This greedy and uneven move would spell disaster for our grassroots level, for women’s football and the wider football community … (1/2)
– Luís Figo (@LuisFigo) April 19, 2021
Former Real Madrid and Portugal star Luis Figo – who was once named a future FIFA leader – was one of the most notable ex-players to comment on social media.
The wing told its 1.2 million followers that the plans were a “greedy and unpleasant move [that] would spell disaster for our grassroots level, for women’s football and the wider football community … just to serve self-interested owners, who stopped caring about their fans long ago, and completely ignore sports merit. Tragic.”
