'Small victory in a big battle to save football,' says Stone as European Super League plans crumble
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THE withdrawal of the six English clubs from the proposed European Super League is "a small victory in a big battle to save football".
So said Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP Jamie Stone after Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool all pulled out of the competition. Inter Milan from Italy and Atletico Madrid from Spain have also withdrawn, leaving the 12-club tournament in tatters following widespread opposition from fans, other teams and politicians. Critics said the proposals would undermine the structure of the game and were being driven by greed.
Mr Stone, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for digital, culture media and sport, said: "It's about time the big six have come to their senses and withdrawn from the Super League. However, this is only a small victory in a big battle to save football.
"Club owners have shown their true, greed-tinted colours and have caused irreparable damage to public trust. The big six like to think they are custodians of our national sport but this debacle has demonstrated their inability to take care of it. This is exactly why we must put power back into the hands of fans."
He added: "The fan-led review promised by sports secretary Oliver Dowden must not lose momentum. The government’s failure to hold a review back in 2019 led us here. They must recognise that the fight to save football has only just begun."
Mr Stone earlier described the European Super league plans as "a nonsense" and said they should be given the red card.
He called for an independent regulator to be appointed to take on the billionaire club owners and "put power back in the hands of fans."
Mr Stone also wrote to sports broadcasters urging them not to televise the matches to protect "the very essence of football".
He claimed the Super League proposals were "the most extreme example of oligarchs and tycoons robbing fans of the game we love."
The UK government has said it would take "whatever action necessary", including legislative options, to stop plans for a European Super League.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with the FA, Premier League officials, and fans' representatives, and afterwards it was revealed that "no action is off the table."
The 12 founding members of the league – Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan – faced a fierce backlash after unveiling proposals for a breakaway tournament.
