{"id":1201026,"date":"2021-04-21T18:08:04","date_gmt":"2021-04-21T17:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1201026"},"modified":"2022-09-19T10:43:26","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T09:43:26","slug":"super-league-founding-clubs-statements-reaction","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/super-league-founding-clubs-statements-reaction\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Super League&#8217;s &#8216;Founding Clubs&#8217; have said so far and reaction as breakaway competition collapses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The monumental collapse of the proposed breakaway Super League truly was a sight to behold.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Less than 48 hours after a group of 12 of Europe&#8217;s supposed &#8216;Super Clubs&#8217; announced their intention to form a breakaway league, the house of cards came tumbling down. In the face of widespread and united anger from fans, English clubs Manchester City and Chelsea were the first to go, followed quickly by the rest of their Premier League counterparts.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">18 April 2021, six Premier League clubs join the Super League:<\/p>\n<p>23:15: Man Utd<br \/>23:20: Man City<br \/>23:21: Liverpool<br \/>23:24: Arsenal<br \/>23:24: Spurs<br \/>23:29: Chelsea<\/p>\n<p>*two days later*<\/p>\n<p>21:19: Man City<br \/>22:55: Arsenal<br \/>22:55: Liverpool<br \/>22:55: Spurs<br \/>22:56: Man Utd<br \/>00:51: Chelsea<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re out.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Play Squawka Selector for Free (@Squawka_Live) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Squawka_Live\/status\/1384657723200086020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>As time went on, Atletico Madrid and the two Milan clubs also backed out, while Juventus admitted the project wasn&#8217;t feasible in the current climate. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the only remaining sides left in Florentino Perez and Co&#8217;s brainchild, though the likelihood of those two playing each other week after week is as unlikely as it is unsavoury.<\/p>\n<p>Though the ESL plans have crumbled, that is certainly not enough for some. Many believe the cold, corporate way in which their clubs have backed out shows a lack of connection or understanding with fans of these great clubs, while others are worried that the oligarchs at the top have still got what they wanted with the Champions League reform.<\/p>\n<p>But as the dominoes continue to fall, let&#8217;s take a look at what each of the &#8216;Founding Clubs&#8217; have said about their decision to abandon the Super League so far.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Compare football odds to get the best in the market using the Oddspedia tool below. Selecting a price will take you to the bookmaker\u2019s sign-up page, where you can register, claim whatever welcome offer is available to new customers and place your bet. (18+ only, <a class=\"\u201cc-link\u201d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"\u201c_blank\u201d\" rel=\"\u201cnoopener noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"\u201chttps:\/\/www.gambleaware.org\/\u201d\" data-sk=\"\u201ctooltip_parent\u201d\">Be Gamble Aware<\/a>)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"oddspedia-widget\"><script>\nwindow.oddspediaWidget = {\n    api_token: \"5a53e9cce64101cbce64a92a2ebb8e4f891ad0d97c7b043a947df26c7f53\",\n    type: \"odds-comparison\",\n    domain: \"www.squawka.com\/en\/\",\n    selector: \"oddspedia-widget\",\n    width: \"0\",\n    theme: \"1\",\n    odds_type: \"3\",\n    language: \"en\",\n    primary_color: \"#E23E36\",\n    accent_color: \"#E23E36\",\n    font: \"Montserrat\",\n    logos: \"true\",\n    limit: \"10\",\n    popular: \"null\",\n    sports: \"football\",\n    leagues: \"1:627\",\n};\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/widgets.oddspedia.com\/js\/widget\/init.js\" async><\/script><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Arsenal<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arsenal.com\/news\/open-letter-our-fans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Official club statement<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p><em>The last few days have shown us yet again the depth of feeling our supporters around the world have for this great club and the game we love.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>We needed no reminding of this but the response from supporters in recent days has given us time for further reflection and deep thought.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>It was never our intention to cause such distress, however when the invitation to join the Super League came, while knowing there were no guarantees, we did not want to be left behind to ensure we protected Arsenal and its future.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League. We made a mistake, and we apologise for it.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>We know it will take time to restore your faith in what we are trying to achieve here at Arsenal but let us be clear that the decision to be part of the Super League was driven by our desire to protect Arsenal, the club you love, and to support the game you love through greater solidarity and financial stability.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Stability is essential for the game to prosper and we will continue to strive to bring the security the game needs to move forward.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The system needs to be fixed. We must work together to find solutions which protect the future of the game and harness the extraordinary power football has to get us on the edge of our seats.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Finally, we know this has been hugely unsettling at the end of what has been an incredibly difficult year for us all.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Our aim is always to make the right decisions for this great football club, to protect it for the future and to take us forward. We didn\u2019t make the right decision here, which we fully accept.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>We have heard you.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The Arsenal Board<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The reaction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In fairness to Arsenal, they are the only club to withdraw from the Super League so far to issue an apology within their initial statement. But that hasn&#8217;t appeased club legend Ian Wright, who continues to use social media to put pressure on owner Stan Kroenke to leave the club.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"qht\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/KroenkeOut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#KroenkeOut<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ian Wright (@IanWright0) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IanWright0\/status\/1384632207558516744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Wright had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/sport\/football\/european-super-league-ian-wright-arsenal-b1834077.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">condemned<\/a> the Super League plans as &#8220;shameful&#8221; from the start, while he said the Premier League clubs involved were &#8220;English in name only&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Chelsea<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Official club <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chelseafc.com\/en\/news\/2021\/04\/20\/club-statement?cardIndex=0-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"standard-article__content\">\n<section class=\"primary\">\n<div class=\"page-rich-text ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"page-rich-text__content\">\n<div class=\"standard-article__synopsis ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"page-rich-text ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"page-rich-text__content\">\n<p><em>As reported earlier this evening, Chelsea Football Club can confirm that it has begun the formal procedures for withdrawal from the group developing plans for a European Super League.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-article__content\">\n<section class=\"primary\">\n<div class=\"page-rich-text ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"page-rich-text__content\">\n<p><em>Having joined the group late last week, we have now had time to consider the matter fully and have decided that our continued participation in these plans would not be in the best interests of the Club, our supporters or the wider football community.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>The reaction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While Arsenal at least offered a lengthy apology, their London rivals, Chelsea, retracted their intention to join the Super League with a cold, 73-word statement.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cHaving spoken extensively to fans and stakeholders, we have always worked with the community and we&#8217;re not going to do anything that goes against them,&#8221; a spokesperson for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich told the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/football\/2021\/04\/21\/why-roman-abramovich-pulled-chelsea-out-european-super-league\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Telegraph<\/a> afterwards. &#8220;We listened and we heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Though they weren&#8217;t the first English side to officially pull out, the Blues were the first rumoured to be performing a U-turn, with huge pressure put on the club by fan protests outside Stamford Bridge ahead of their Premier League tie with Brighton. Technical\/performance advisor and legendary goalkeeper Petr Cech even had to step into the breach to try and calm supporters.<\/p>\n<p>Iconic former captain John Terry had already criticised the Super League venture with an Instagram post captioned: <span>\u201cWhat has happened to our beautiful game\u2026\u00a0\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Following the statement released by Chelsea on Tuesday evening, Terry&#8217;s former teammate Florent Malouda praised the club&#8217;s fans for uniting and standing their ground.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">1 of the teachings of this troubled era is that PEOPLE are POWERFUL when they UNITE !!! FOOTBALL is nothing without the fans &#8230;  It is also important to educate people to understand why the pyramid system is so important for the football community. (1\/2) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/UefaChampionsLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#UefaChampionsLeague<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hlloYsA2bG\">pic.twitter.com\/hlloYsA2bG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Florent MALOUDA (@realflorentm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realflorentm\/status\/1384802948409139200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 21, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">(2\/2)I believe that you must earn and prove that you&#39;re the best. That&#39;s the beauty and  the value of the competition !! Domestic leagues are important ! We need solidarity and to listen and take care of the fans.  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JFE08tJ1OX\">https:\/\/t.co\/JFE08tJ1OX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Florent MALOUDA (@realflorentm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realflorentm\/status\/1384803856584957952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 21, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Liverpool<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Official club <a href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolfc.com\/news\/first-team\/431956-liverpool-football-club-statement-20-april-2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-synopsis synopsis\"><em>Liverpool Football Club can confirm that our involvement in proposed plans to form a European Super League has been discontinued.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p><em>In recent days, the club has received representations from various key stakeholders, both internally and externally, and we would like to thank them for their valuable contributions.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The reaction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Like Chelsea, Liverpool&#8217;s announcement was incredibly cold, though owner John Henry did apologise to the club&#8217;s supporters, Jurgen Klopp and the players via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolfc.com\/news\/first-team\/431970-john-henry-s-message-to-liverpool-supporters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a video message<\/a> on Wednesday morning, saying he alone takes full responsibility. Meanwhile, club captain Jordan Henderson played a key role in rallying his teammates and other Premier League players against the plans.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/X2ZFqJ9T4L\">pic.twitter.com\/X2ZFqJ9T4L<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHenderson\/status\/1384597901079371778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Prior to the ESL collapse, Reds hero Kenny Dalglish called on the club&#8217;s owners to &#8220;do the right thing&#8221;, while afterwards, he expressed his relief of Liverpool&#8217;s decision to pull out of the plans.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The fans have always been and will always be integral to Liverpool Football Club. In so many ways they are the Club. I am relieved to know that the Club has listened to them.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sir Kenny Dalglish (@kennethdalglish) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kennethdalglish\/status\/1384627175459065856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>But fellow Liverpool legend John Barnes is less appeased. The former winger criticised Henry&#8217;s apology for being &#8220;scripted&#8221; before going on to suggest nothing has changed in that the wealthy elite will continue to exploit football and its fans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s happening is there\u2019s been a power struggle between elite groups who control football and exploit the fans, that\u2019s all it was,&#8221; Barnes told<a href=\"https:\/\/talksport.com\/football\/869213\/european-super-league-collapse-fans-liverpool-john-barnes-powerful-rant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> TalkSPORT<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just a question of who\u2019s going to exploit them. Now that the ESL is not going to exploit them, it will be the same old guard \u2013 FIFA, UEFA, the Premier League and the big clubs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ex-Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher believes Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have no future at Anfield in light of recent revelations.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I actually think the situation with Liverpool&#8217;s owners is that l don&#8217;t see how they can continue,&#8221; Carragher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skysports.com\/football\/news\/11095\/12282077\/jamie-carragher-fsg-have-no-future-at-liverpool-after-super-league-proposal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a>Sky Sports just before Liverpool backed out.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They can&#8217;t just leave the club, obviously, the business is worth a lot of money. <span>But I don&#8217;t see a future for the ownership of FSG at Liverpool on the back of this.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Manchester City<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Official club <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mancity.com\/news\/mens\/club-statement-super-league-withdraw-63754546\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Manchester City Football Club can confirm that it has formally enacted the procedures to withdraw from the group developing plans for a European Super League.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The reaction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At just 25 words long, Man City&#8217;s statement &#8212; the first to be released &#8212; was the shortest.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier on Tuesday, manager Pep Guardiola had criticised the Super League plans. <span>\u201cIt is not a sport where the relation between the effort and the success, the effort and the reward, does not exist,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It is not a sport where success is already guaranteed or it is not a sport when it doesn\u2019t matter where you lose.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Former City defender Micah Richards, who had branded the Super League plans as &#8220;disgusting&#8221; as the news broke live on Sky Sports on Sunday, took to Twitter to praise the club for seeing sense and the fans who made their feelings known.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Better late than never ?????? well done to all the fans who voiced their opinions. Ctid <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yGifF9l8vC\">https:\/\/t.co\/yGifF9l8vC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Micah Richards (@MicahRichards) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MicahRichards\/status\/1384605960568721410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Manchester United<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Official club <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manutd.com\/en\/news\/detail\/official-statement-on-man-utd-withdrawal-from-european-super-league\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Manchester United will not be participating in the European Super League.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>We have listened carefully to the reaction from our fans, the UK government and other key stakeholders. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>We remain committed to working with others across the football community to come up with sustainable solutions to the long-term challenges facing the game.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The reaction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the main Super League ring leaders, Manchester United have arguably had the most tumultuous time of all 12 clubs over the past few days, with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward also announcing his plans to stand down from his position at the end of 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Following their extremely short statement, ex-United right-back and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville &#8212; who has been front and centre of Super League criticism in England &#8212; was quick to blast his former club&#8217;s poor communication.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve read this 3-4 times now,&#8221; he wrote of United&#8217;s statement on Twitter. &#8220;Quite possibly the worst communication I&#8217;ve ever seen in my life.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">To The Super League ? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zcHbsJ0DG0\">pic.twitter.com\/zcHbsJ0DG0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Gary Neville (@GNev2) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GNev2\/status\/1384586218588053507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday afternoon, United owner Joel Glazer penned an open letter to the club&#8217;s supporters, admitting his fault for pursuing the Super League project, apologising, and affirming his commitment to putting things right.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In seeking to create a more stable foundation for the game, we failed to show enough respect for its deep-rooted traditions \u2013promotion, relegation, the pyramid \u2013 and for that we are sorry,&#8221; part of the statement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manutd.com\/en\/news\/detail\/joel-glazer-writes-open-letter-to-man-utd-supporters-april-2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">read<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is the world\u2019s greatest football club and we apologise unreservedly for the unrest caused during these past few days.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the release of the open letter, Neville said the Glazers have &#8220;no place in Manchester&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h2>Tottenham Hotspur<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Official club <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tottenhamhotspur.com\/news\/2021\/april\/club-statement-20-april\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>We can confirm that we have formally commenced procedures to withdraw from the group developing proposals for a European Super League (ESL).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Chairman Daniel Levy said: \u201cWe regret the anxiety and upset caused by the ESL proposal. We felt it was important that our club participated in the development of a possible new structure that sought to better ensure financial fair play and financial sustainability whilst delivering significantly increased support for the wider football pyramid.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe believe that we should never stand still and that the sport should constantly review competitions and governance to ensure the game we all love continues to evolve and excite fans around the world.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe should like to thank all those supporters who presented their considered opinions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The reaction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With all the drama and backlash, the fact that Spurs sacked manager Jose Mourinho and replaced him with former midfielder Ryan Mason on an interim basis almost went under the radar.<\/p>\n<p>Although it was Daniel Levy who expressed Tottenham&#8217;s &#8220;regret and anxiety&#8221; &#8212; but not sorrow &#8212; by the Super League proposal, it was club owner Joe Lewis who found himself in the crosshairs of former manager Harry Redknapp prior to Spurs backing out. Redknapp accused Lewis of being more interested in cashing in on the club rather than the football itself.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe club belongs to Joe Lewis, he\u2019s the main shareholder,&#8221; he <a href=\"https:\/\/talksport.com\/football\/868512\/tottenham-joe-lewis-european-super-league-harry-redknapp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>. &#8220;Joe doesn\u2019t go to watch Tottenham play and not to appear disrespectful, he\u2019s probably only half-interested in watching games. It was an investment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What have the non-English clubs said?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As Wednesday wore on, the dominoes continued to fall. In Italy, Inter Milan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inter.it\/en\/news\/2021\/04\/21\/statement-inter-super-league.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">confirmed<\/a> they were backing away from the Super League but said they&#8217;re &#8220;<span>committed to giving fans the best football experience&#8221; and didn&#8217;t offer an apology or explanation to their supporters. City rivals AC Milan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acmilan.com\/en\/news\/articles\/club\/2021-04-21\/official-statement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">made<\/a> a similar promise, but also conceded that they &#8220;must be sensitive&#8221; to club&#8217;s fans when making decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But Italian rivals Juventus took a much stronger stance, hinting that the clubs backing away from the proposal weren&#8217;t following correct procedure and reaffirming their support of the project on a long-term basis, even if they must step away in the present.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Juventus president and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SuperLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SuperLeague<\/a> vice-chairman Andrea Agnelli denies rumours about resigning: \u201cI\u2019m not leaving the club and who says the opposite brings me luck\u201d, he told Repubblica. ?\u26aa\ufe0f\u26ab\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Juventus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Juventus<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1384652072130330626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"oc-c-body-part oc-c-body-part--text jcom-c-body-part--text\">\n<p>A club <a href=\"https:\/\/www.juventus.com\/en\/news\/articles\/statement-on-the-super-league-project\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a> read: &#8220;With reference to the press release published by Juventus Football Club S.p.A. on 19 April 2021, relating to the proposed creation of the Super League, and the ensuing public debate, the issuer clarifies to be aware of the request and intentions otherwise expressed by certain clubs to withdraw from this project, although the necessary procedures envisaged by the agreement among the clubs have not been completed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"oc-c-body-part oc-c-body-part--text jcom-c-body-part--text\">\n<p>&#8220;In this context, while Juventus remains convinced of the soundness of the project\u2019s sport, commercial and legal premises, it believes that at present there are limited chances that the project be completed in the form originally conceived.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"oc-c-body-part oc-c-body-part--text jcom-c-body-part--text\">\n<p>&#8220;Juventus remains committed to pursuing the creation of long-term value for the Company and the entire football industry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The only Spanish side to back away from the table so far, Atletico Madrid <a href=\"https:\/\/en.atleticodemadrid.com\/noticias\/official-statement-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a> that they were pulling out due to &#8220;circumstances that no longer exist today&#8221;, while they reasoned that &#8220;harmony&#8221; between the groups that make up the club, including the fans, is &#8220;essential&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><!-- This belongs to <head\/> --><br \/>\n<script async type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/asset.fwcdn1.com\/js\/storyblock.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!-- This belongs to <body\/> --><br \/>\n<fw-storyblock channel=\"squawka\" video=\"gXMaqr\" max_videos=\"1\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"><\/fw-storyblock><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The monumental collapse of the proposed breakaway Super League truly was a sight to behold. Less than 48 hours after a group of 12 of Europe&#8217;s supposed &#8216;Super Clubs&#8217; announced their intention to form a breakaway league, the house of cards came tumbling down. In the face of widespread and united anger from fans, English&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":1201047,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Super League collapse: What 'Founding Clubs' have said so far and reaction","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Keep up to date with official club statements, reaction and more from the Super League \u2018Founding Clubs\u2019 as breakaway competition collapses.","footnotes":""},"tags":[285],"news-category":[],"class_list":["post-1201026","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-notnewsnow"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Super League collapse: What &#039;Founding Clubs&#039; have said so far and reaction<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Keep up to date with official club statements, reaction and more from the Super League \u2018Founding Clubs\u2019 as breakaway competition collapses.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/super-league-founding-clubs-statements-reaction\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What the Super League&#039;s &#039;Founding Clubs&#039; 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