European Premier League: Jamie Carragher's abrupt response to reports, La Liga condemn plans
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ByEurosport
Updated 20/10/2020 at 19:24 GMT
Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville and La Liga chief Javier Tebas did not react positively after a report claimed Manchester United and Liverpool are in talks to form a new European Premier League, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus among the other clubs approached, with four more English sides also invited to play in the FIFA-backed competition.
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher did not react positively to reports Liverpool and Man Utd are planning a European Premier League
Image credit: Getty Images
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher gave an abrupt response to news of his former side being joined by Manchester United in plans to reportedly form a new European Premier League.
Having seen their plans to reform the English game scuppered when Project Big Picture was rejected last week, Liverpool and United are now reported by Sky News to be in discussions to form a European-wide league involving some of the continent’s biggest clubs.
Sky Sports pundit Carragher did not hide his feelings about the proposals, simply tweeting 'Oh f*** off', while Gary Neville posted "Independent Regulator Anyone ?" amid the ex-United captain's own plans to restructure English football along with former Football Association chairman David Bernstein and six more prominent figures.
Neville added to Sky Sports News: "The big issue that I have with it, is that at this moment in time, in the middle of a pandemic and when football is on its knees at so many different levels, the idea that a $6bn package is being put together to set up a new league when lower clubs are scrambling around to pay wages and stay in existence.
It's another wound for football. It doesn't feel like the right time to be talking about this. The leak probably doesn't suit Manchester United or Liverpool at this moment in time as they're seen as the big, bad bullies. If they can pull $6bn together for a European league then they can pull together £150-200m to save the rest of football in this country. There is enough wealth in the game to look after all the key stakeholders.
"It's almost a tap-in for Manchester United, Liverpool and others to be able to say: 'There's £10m for non-league, there's a couple of hundred million rescue package for EFL clubs'. I don't get why we're not looking after the wider game, while having these discussions over $6bn debt packages with JP Morgan. It is obscene."
UEFA 'strongly oppose' plans
A UEFA statement read: “The UEFA President has made it clear on many occasions that UEFA strongly opposes a Super League. The principles of solidarity, of promotion, relegation and open leagues are non-negotiable.
“It is what makes European football work and the Champions League the best sports competition in the world. UEFA and the clubs are committed to build on such strength not to destroy it to create a super league of 10, 12, even 24 clubs, which would inevitably become boring.”
Tebas slams 'ignorant authors' of Euro PL
La Liga president Javier Tebas did not react positively either, claiming the "authors" of the idea are showing an "ignorance".
"The authors of that idea - if they really exist - not only show a total ignorance of the organization and customs of European and world football, but also a serious ignorance of the audiovisual rights markets," Tebas said.
A project of this type will mean serious economic damage to the organizers themselves and to those entities that finance it, if they exist, because they´re never official. These "underground" projects only look good when drafted at a bar at 5 in the morning.
Meanwhile, the Football Supporters' Association - representative body for football supporters in England and Wales - said: "Seriously, if you’re a club owner or football financier who thinks a global health crisis is the perfect opportunity to rip up and reshape football to suit billionaires... you have no idea how much fans detest your concept. It will not go how you think."
How would the European Premier League work?
More than 12 teams from La Liga, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Premier League have been approached to be founder members of the league, which could start as early as 2022.
The new tournament would hold 18 teams and the games would be played throughout the regular football calendar. The top teams in the league would then take part in a playoff to decide the winner.
Prize money could be worth hundreds of millions of pounds just for the winner of the tournament. A similar figure could be paid to teams simply for participating.
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'Singled out' Real Madrid duo facing the axe - Euro Papers
JP Morgan and other banks would lend the money in order to finance the creation of the European Premier League, and the entity would pay back the money through revenue created by the competition.
Which clubs could be involved in European Premier League?
The report claims that details of the teams to take part could be announced in October but the plans are not yet concrete.
Liverpool and United, who have discussed their own new format of the Premier League, could also be joined by Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid are two Spanish teams to be invited, and Atletico Madrid are also a contender, with Real a driving force behind the plans.
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Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe
Image credit: Getty Images
Other teams said to be involved are Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Juventus, with talks involving Florentino Perez, Spanish financiers Key Capital Partners, and FIFA head Gianni Infantino
The league could give semi-permanent membership to founder members, cap fees paid to agents, and put member teams at a huge financial advantage compared to their domestic rivals.
Due to the financial implications more cash may have to be redistributed amongst smaller teams. Any changes may not be made until 2024 when the current format of the Champions League is redrafted.
Will the Champions League be affected?
The report also suggests that the super league would not replace the UEFA Champions League though no outcome was yet certain, and it could be used instead of Europe's premier competition.
It is not known if UEFA are party to or in favour of the plan. Neither regulatory body has yet commented on the plans, and it may set the two at loggerheads, with any disputes potentially going to court.
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