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News
European Super League plot revived as John Henry and FSG’s Liverpool stance set for major test
When the European Super League launched and promptly collapsed in April 2021, many thought it could be a turning point in Liverpool and their co-conspirator’s histories.
The backlash to the breakaway plot was monumental in scale and emotion, with fans of Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and the two Manches𒀰ter clubs protesting in the🤡ir droves.
John Henry, principle owner of Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, was subsequently forced into an embarrassing climbdown, owning up to 🅘his mistake in a videoꦡ apology.
What is often forgotten about the whole sorry saga is that it was actually the second breakaway attempt that FSG and Liverpool had attempted to engineer in less than 12 mont൲hs.
In October 2021, Henry collaborated ജclosely with ex-Man United exec♛utive Ed Woodward and EFL chair Rick Parry, who also happened to have been Liverpool’s CEO for over 10 years, on Project Big Picture.
The details of Project Big Picture, which are outlined in documents seen by TBR Football, would have seen English football’s pyramid and financial system radic🍨ally restructured.
The European Super League and Project B♋ig Picture both include provisions for clubs to sell their own media rights, a central fund for infrastructure projꦿects, and financial weighting towards the ‘elite’.
A22 Sports Management, the group formed by the remaining Sup𝓀er League clubs to resurrect the project, are still bullish about their chances of getting the competition off the ground.
They have secured several key victories in the courts and, at a summit attended by TBR las✱t year, outlined exactly what the reformatted competition would look like.
Throughout the ongoing saga, Liverpool 😼have consistently maintained that their position has not changed and they would 🐈not be part of any further breakaway attempts.
However, FSG’s resolves could be te🦄sted by the latest news emerging from Spain, where the Super League revival project is gathering pace.
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English clubs reportedly open to re-joining Super League
Real Madrid and Barcelona are the only clubs from the original 12 to still support the Super League. Publicly, at♋✅ least.
According to a report from Spanish outlet , the El Clas❀sico duo have been in talks with around 100 European clubs with a view to rebooting the competition.
Significantly, it is🐻 said that English clubs are among those♑ with whom they have engaged.
Man City are th💯e oꦅnly specific club the Mundo Deportivo name as having maintained their stance in opposition to the breakaway.
A22 believe that Liverpool, as o𝔍ne of the original founders, are still legally bound to the project💦.
It is also claimed that that the ‘powerful English clubs’ – a category to which Liverpool surely belong – are in favo🐲ur.
The new format would feature several tiers, with a promotion and relegation system aimed at fending off the accusations of a lack of meritocracy that beset 💖the last Super League plot.
It would be held midweek ♈and would not replace domestic leagues but instead run in tandem with them.
Would an independent football regulator block Liverpool from joining the European Super League?
There is one major c𒆙aveat to the above discussion – the imminent introduction of an independent regulator for English football.
The bill for a government-backed regulator, which was proposed as a direct response to the Super League plot, is currently making its way through P🀅arliament.
One of its proposed powers is, ♓crucially, to block clubs from joi😼ning breakaway competitions.
Whethꦗer a Super League that runs alongside the Premier League would be considered a breakaway will likely be key here.
Away from semantics, FIFA rules also stipulate that governments cannot directly involve themselves🉐 in football matters.
In practice, this rule is far from concrete 💫and there are hundreds of instances of where the business of government and football overlap.
But A22 wil𝔍l see this as ammunition in their fight to get Liverpool and their English peers to sign up.