The UK government will do everything it can to block plans for a breakout Super League, according to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
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Six Premier League clubs were announced among the founding members of a new European competition on Monday, which is designed to compete with the Champions League from 2021/22.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd and Tottenham joined six clubs from Spain and Italy to enter the new competition, which will be a closed shop with automatic and permanent membership for those involved from the start.
Football is for the fans. pic.twitter.com/oIOikzu8Dv
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) 19 April 2021
Opposition has been mounting across the UK, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressing his concern on Sunday night – even before the plans were formally announced. Now Cultural Secretary Oliver Dowden has told the House of Commons: “We will put everything on the table to prevent this from happening.
“We examine all alternatives, from board reform, competition law and the mechanisms that make it possible for football to take place. Simply put, we will review everything the government does to support these clubs to play.
“It does not strike me that the government should continue to support that proposal.”
Prime Minister Johnson had previously said on Twitter that the plans would be “harmful” to football in Britain.
Plans for a European Super League would be very detrimental to football and we support football authorities to take action.
They would strike at the heart of the domestic game and will touch fans across the country. (1/2)
– Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 18, 2021
“Plans for a European Super League would be very detrimental to football and we support football authorities to act,” he wrote. “They would strike at the heart of the domestic game and will touch fans across the country.
“The clubs involved must respond to their fans and the wider football community before taking further steps.”
UEFA will take all stops to prevent the competition and President Aleksander Ceferin has already said that participating players will not be welcome at future World Cups and European Championships.
There have also been threats that Chelsea, City and Real Madrid could be expelled from this season’s Champions League before they get the chance to compete in their semi-finals.
