UEFA confronts Super League rebel 12
President says players could be banned from next year’s World Cup
The deceptions, distrust and divisions in European soccer erupted in public on Monday between teams and even within the clubs breaking away to form a Super League that could leave them and their players outcasts in the global game.
Condemnation of the 12 rebel clubs from England, Spain and Italy even came from Prince William, who followed the British government in railing against moves to split from longstanding structures to play in a largely closed competition rather than Europe’s existing UEFA-RUN Champions League.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin turned on club leaders he called “snakes” and “liars,” singling out Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli and Manchester United vice chairman Ed Woodward for betraying him for reneging on a pledge to stick within existing structures by backing a revamp of the Champions League only last Friday.
Ceferin threatened players from the Super League clubs with being banned from the European Championship and next year’s World Cup.
“They will not be able to represent their national teams at any matches,” Ceferin warned earlier. “UEFA and the footballing world stand united against the disgraceful selfserving proposal we have seen in the last 24 hours from a select few clubs in Europe that are fueled purely by greed above all else.”
The strident rhetoric from Ceferin was followed on Monday by criticism of the Super League even by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp despite owner John Henry securing the six-time European champion’s participation in the new competition.
“I don’t think it’s a great idea,” he said after Liverpool was held by Leeds to 1-1. It’s a result that puts Liverpool two points from the four Champions League qualification places, showing just why Henry would
want the team he has owned since 2010 in a Super League where the spot is locked in.