The Premier League have confirmed they are “considering all actions” against the six clubs who hope to join a European Super League as the backlash to the bombshell proposal continues.
The Premier League’s ‘big six’ are part of a group of 12 leading clubs who have agreed to join a breakaway competition aimed at rivalling the Champions League.
The 14 remaining Premier League clubs met on Tuesday to discuss their next move and have committed to exploring all options to ensure the planned venture cannot go ahead.
A statement read: “The Premier League, alongside The FA, met with clubs today to discuss the immediate implications of the Super League proposal.
“The 14 clubs at the meeting unanimously and vigorously rejected the plans for the competition. The Premier League is considering all actions available to prevent it from progressing, as well as holding those Shareholders involved to account under its rules.
“The League will continue to work with key stakeholders including fan groups, Government, Uefa, The FA, EFL, PFA and LMA to protect the best interests of the game and call on those clubs involved in the proposed competition to cease their involvement immediately.
“The Premier League would like to thank fans and all stakeholders for the support they have shown this week on this significant issue. The reaction proves just how much our open pyramid and football community means to people.”
It is understood Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has organised an emergency meeting of Premier League captains to discuss their own next step with Uefa and Fifa both strenuously opposed to plans and vowing to ban any players involved from international competition.
The proposal has met with almost universal condemnation with supporter groups and football figures such as Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher as well as politicians including Prime Minister Boris Johnson all voicing criticism.
Meeting with representatives from the Football Association, the Premier League and football fan groups on Tuesday morning, Mr Johnson denounced the proposed league as “anti-competitive” and promised to “drop a legislative bomb to stop it.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola also offered his disapproval describing the plans as “not sport”.
“A few hours before a statement was released they told me. No-one speaks clearly with more details about what they are going to create,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
“We are not the right people to answer these questions. We don’t have all the information with (club) presidents do. I support by club.
“Sport is not a sport when the relationship between effort and success does not exist. It is not a sport if you can’t lose. It’s not fair if a team fights to get to the top and success is only guaranteed for some clubs.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp expressed his own concerns on Monday evening.
“My feelings didn’t change. My opinion didn’t change,” he said ahead of the Premier League game with Leeds United. “I heard for the first time about it yesterday. I was trying to prepare for a difficult game.
“We got some information, not a lot. Most of the things in the newspapers. It’s a tough one. People are not happy with it, I can understand it.
“I can’t say a lot more because we were not involved in the process – not the players, not me – we didn’t know about it. We will have to wait how it develops.”
