Everton have strongly condemned the six Premier League clubs who have agreed to join the new European Super League.
Everton say the clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – are behaving with “preposterous arrogance”, are “tarnishing the reputation of our league and the game” and have called for the plans to be withdrawn.
The world of football has been shaken by the proposal, which would see the six Premier League sides join three from Spain and three from Italy to form a breakaway European Super League, with the games to be played in midweek.
The Real Madrid and Super League president Florentino Perez says the plans will ‘save football’, but they have been universally condemned throughout the game. The 14 Premier League clubs who are not included are meeting on Tuesday to discuss how to proceed.
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Joe Blott – from Liverpool supporters union Spirit of Shankly – says ‘nothing is off the table’ when it comes to fighting the Super League plans, including the possible boycotting of games.
“Everton is saddened and disappointed to see proposals of a breakaway league pushed forward by six clubs,” read a statement from Everton’s board of directors released on Tuesday morning.
“Six clubs acting entirely in their own interests.
“Six clubs tarnishing the reputation of our league and the game.
“Six clubs choosing to disrespect every other club with whom they sit around the Premier League table.
“Six clubs taking for granted and even betraying the majority of football supporters across our country and beyond.
“At this time of national and international crisis – and a defining period for our game – clubs should be working together collaboratively with the ideals of our game and its supporters uppermost.
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Real Madrid President Florentino Perez will be the chairman of the new European Super League and says it is needed because football is going through ‘a very bad situation’.
“Instead, these clubs have been secretly conspiring to break away from a football pyramid that has served them so well.
“And in that Pyramid Everton salutes EVERY club, be it Leicester City, Accrington Stanley, Gillingham, Lincoln City, Morecambe, Southend United, Notts County and the rest who have, with their very being, enriched the lives of their supporters throughout the game’s history. And vice versa.
“The self-proclaimed Super Six appear intent on disenfranchising supporters across the game – including their own – by putting the very structure that underpins the game we love under threat.
“The backlash is understandable and deserved – and has to be listened to.
“This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan.
“On behalf of everyone associated with Everton, we respectfully ask that the proposals are immediately withdrawn and that the private meetings and subversive practises that have brought our beautiful game to possibly its lowest ever position in terms of trust end now.
“Finally we would ask the owners, chairmen, and Board members of the six clubs to remember the privileged position they hold – not only as custodians of their clubs but also custodians of the game. The responsibility they carry should be taken seriously.
“We urge them all to consider what they wish their legacy to be.”
