No matter your sporting interest or lack there off, you could not have missed the European Super League story that dominated the news and sports stories at the beginning of the week.
With a regular overload of Covid-19 guidelines, lockdowns and restrictions, it was hard to believe a story would come along to top that, but boy did the Super league serve up a cracker.
Just in case you have been out of touch and missed the story, a few little details. 12 of Europe’s leading football clubs signed up to a new midweek competition which would be governed by its “Founding Clubs” and would rival the UEFA Champions league.
Closest to home, six premier league clubs signed up; both Manchester clubs City and United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham with A.C Milan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid joining them.
Interestingly, the German clubs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were not included, neither were Paris Saint-Germain of France.
The proposal by the “founding Clubs” for the Super League was to stabilize European competitions and create a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis.
For many outside looking in; including mostly supporters and a number of pundits and indeed politicians, it was all about the money. Not millions which were talked about for this Super league but Billions, super money in any language.
Obviously there was uproar from the football associations, with UEFA realising that their jewel in the crown the Champions league would be relegated to a junior B competition, while the domestic league’s would be lower in the pecking order as this super competition would give guaranteed entry to its founding clubs.
So no need for any qualifiers. Fans obviously were up in arms. There would be less chance to support their side at home in a competition that mattered little to them if they were making super money in the super league and also the “founding clubs” were being served with removal notice from their domestic leagues.
For those non-supporters of the founding clubs, well the realisation was pretty clear, the big clubs would get bigger, while others would have little or no chance of competing and eating at this super table.
So big was the story of this Super league, that the British Prime minister Boris Johnson even had his say , tweeting
Plans for a European Super League would be very damaging for football and we support football authorities in taking action. They would strike at the heart of the domestic game, and will concern fans across the country.
The clubs involved must answer to their fans and the wider footballing community before taking any further steps
UEFA even threatened to ban any player whose club was involved in the Super league from competing at the Euros or World cup for their country.
Pundits galore jumped on board with their take on where this league would lead football, the irony not been lost that two of the most vocal, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher of Sky punditry fame.
Whoever thought that former Man United and Liverpool greats could agree and support each other on a subject involving money and greed from behind an absurdly high priced subscribed channel for the game they love.
Interestingly the one quote that may have perfectly summed up the whole debacle was given by Patrick Bamford after his Leeds side had held the then super league club Liverpool to a one-all draw in the Premier League.
It’s amazing the amount of uproar that comes into the game when somebody’s pockets are getting hurt, it’s a shame it’s not like that with racism
said Bamford.
What a super summary of exactly what was going on, football associations were fearful of their profit margins, there is certainly more pressing issues within the game to be sorted, but if they are not having a major effect on the bottom line well then they will remain as that a pressing issue.
The super league went beyond that it was suffocating to those in football power and when they realised how difficult it was going to become to breath, they had to push back and ensure their survival and they gained their breathing space once more with the founding clubs slowly dropping away until finally it was noted that the super league would be no more.
Three days it lasted with fan power been attributed to its demise. One-nil to the supporters it would seem, however some of the commentary following the whole debacle has been stomach churning at best with social media channels awash with “Football is saved.. Our beautiful game is back…No need for the greed…”
Football at the moment is far from beautiful with eye watering amounts of money doing the rounds to buy in players who perhaps believes in their value and not their ability.
Big clubs continue to get bigger with greed and power a regularly used tool and you would certainly be fooling yourself if you thought the game has been saved in recent days.
The Super League was a shot across the bows of football associations that the clubs are gaining more power, the tail is beginning to wag the dog.
OK this time the dog had the strength or perhaps cuteness to take control of the tail once more, but the wagging will continue and eventually the dog will tire.
