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Chelsea and Manchester City are preparing to leave the field European Super League after rival football clubs, managers, players, fans and politicians united in opposition to the disputed plans.
The two English clubs have begun the process of withdrawing from the new league, as other clubs have also reconsidered their participation in the pro-independence competition.
Ed Woodward, Manchester United’s executive vice-president, has resigned but will continue to work for the club until the end of the year. Manchester United, owned by American billionaire Glazer, which is among the architects of the Super League, declined to comment.
The moves came after twelve clubs from England, Spain and Italy had signed binding contracts last weekend to enter the Superliga. That means Chelsea and Manchester City officials have to prepare documentation to leave the pact.
The decision to withdraw indicates the first sign of outside discontent among rebel clubs, which have been condemned internationally for their involvement in a project that threatens to overthrow the world’s favorite sport hierarchy.
Chelsea and Manchester City declined to comment. The Superliga did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Aleksander Ceferin, president of Uefa, praised Manchester City ‘s withdrawal from the project and said: “I am delighted to welcome City to the family of European football.
“They have shown great intelligence in hearing the many voices, especially their fans, who have explained the vital advantages that the current system has for the whole of European football, since the Champions League final that surpassed the world until the first coaching session of a young player at a grassroots club, ”he said.
“It takes courage to admit a mistake, but I never doubted that they had the ability and common sense to make that decision.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the English Premier League pledged to take action against its member clubs that have joined the new competition.
After a meeting of the 14 top clubs that were not involved in the proposal, the Premier League said it was considering “all actions” to prevent the project from moving forward and threatened to hold the six pro-independence clubs accountable. The clubs said they “unanimously and vigorously rejected” the plans.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, the English clubs that are part of the founding members of the Super League, were not invited to attend the meeting.
The Superliga obtained this Tuesday an early legal advantage in a commercial court in Madrid in a resolution issued after an application submitted by the group.
A judge issued interim measures restricting any action that FIFA, the governing body of world football, and Uefa, which governs sport in Europe, could take against the Superliga. The ruling means that football federations and their members could be prevented from implementing sanctions against clubs and their players.
The Premier League, the League and UEFA declined to comment. FIFA did not immediately respond to requests.
A person close to the Super League said: “The desire for dialogue is there. But this was done to protect the clubs, the players and they want to protect the Superliga ”.
The UK government has launched a review that Oliver Dowden, secretary of culture, said it would consider giving fans an “even bigger view in overseeing the game”.
Premier League club West Ham United, who are currently on the verge of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, said they will “do everything possible … to resist this attack on football in interest of our club and the game we all like ”.
The Super League, with 15 permanent members including the Spanish Barcelona and Real Madrid and the Italian of Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, would include only five other qualifying places, which will make it much more difficult for clubs like West Ham to enter. The Uefa Champions League, the continent’s most prestigious club tournament, is open to the top four teams in England each season.
The threat of tangible and coordinated action against Super League clubs is the next step in a growing crisis in European football, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeting that “there is no action outside of the table and we are exploring all possibilities to ensure that these proposals are stopped. ”On Tuesday, he met with Premier League officials to discuss the issue.
Uefa reiterated its condemnation in the Superliga and consults its lawyers to consider sanctions.
Ceferin, the president of Uefa, has threatened to ban the Champions League teams this season, while Uefa and FIFA have said that players could not represent their countries in international competitions.
Liverpool midfielder James Milner has expressed opposition to the plan. explaining it to the BBC: “I don’t like it at all and I hope it doesn’t happen.”
Marcus Rashford, the Manchester United striker known for his campaign efforts around free school meals, tweeted that “football is nothing without fans”.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola also expressed disapproval and said at a news conference on Tuesday that “sport is not sport if losing doesn’t matter”.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president and chief executive of French champions Paris Saint-Germain, said “any proposal without Uefa support. . . it does not solve the problems currently facing the football community, but is driven by self-interest ”.
However, Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, a key driver of the Superliga launch and his first presidency, has stated that the competition “will save football”.
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