UEFA
Spectators injured by parachuting protestor
UEFA says “several people” are being treated in the hospital for injuries caused by a protestor who parachuted into the stadium before France’s 1-0 victory over Germany in Munich.
UEFA says “law authorities will take the necessary action” for what it called a “reckless and dangerous” act.
Debris fell on to the field and main grandstand when the parachutist got tangled in wires carrying an overhead camera.
France coach Didier Deschamps was filmed ducking into the team dugout.
READ: Ronaldo scores 2, Portugal beats Hungary 3-0 at Euro 2020
The protestor had the slogan “KICK OUT OIL!” and “Greenpeace” written on it.
Mats Hummels scored an own-goal and France beat Germany 1-0 at the European Championship.
The experienced defender was attempting to stop Lucas Hernández’s cross from reaching France forward Kylian Mbappé when he diverted the ball into his own net in the 20th minute.
Both teams had chances to score. İlkay Gündoğan wasted Germany’s best opportunity of the first half when he couldn’t direct his shot on target.
France twice put the ball in the net in the second half but both were called back for offside. Mbappé sent a curling shot inside the far post midway through the half and then set up Karim Benzema for another late in the match.
England players booed for taking a knee despite plea by team
Sections of fans at Wembley Stadium booed England players for taking a knee before the European Championship game against Croatia on Sunday.
The boos, which could be heard over those fans applauding, came despite pleas from the team to respect the anti-racism gesture. Croatia’s players did not take a knee as expected.
Read:Subs score late to give Austria 3-1 win over North Macedonia
“Everybody should cheer for England,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a short time later the G7 Summit, while not saying if he would take a knee if he was a player.
Some England fans claim taking a knee is a political act but the English Football Association said again ahead of the team’s opening Euro 2020 match that the gesture is important to them and should be respected.
Read: Doctor: Eriksen ‘was gone’ before being resuscitated
“They are doing this as a mechanism of peacefully protesting against discrimination, injustice and inequality,” the FA said in a statement to fans. “This is personally important to the players and the values the team collectively represents. This gesture of unity and fighting against inequality can be traced back as far as the 18th century.
“It is not new, and English football has made it very clear that it does not view this as being aligned to a political organisation or ideology. There can be no doubt as to why the players are taking the knee and what it represents in a footballing context.”
Read:Sterling's dream now a reality as England beats Croatia 1-0
The jeering was by some fans who also chanted “No surrender” during the national anthem. That’s a dated reference to the conflict endured for generations that saw Britain hit by terrorist attacks from the Irish Republic Army.
Croatia’s national anthem was also booed by some of the 22,500 fans allowed into Wembley, which could lead to the country’s soccer association being fined by UEFA.
European Football Season 2020-21: Individual Award Winners
The European football season 2020-2021 has come to a close. Several star footballers emerged across Europe last season. Also, the majority of the world's finest footballers contributed to their teams' success. Usually, the top performers of the champion teams are picked for the best player awards and the expected players won trophies in the European football season 2020-2021.
Award-winning footballers of 2020-2021 European season
Let's take a look at the award-winning footballers from the top five European leagues – the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Bundesliga, and French League.
English Premier League award winners
We saw a superb contest between Premier League clubs until the middle of the season. However, Manchester City turned their fortunes around with a 15-game winning streak and eventually won the Premier League for the fifth time and the third time in the past four seasons.
Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was Man City's most important player last season. He scored 10 goals in 40 appearances for the Citizens and earned his second consecutive PFA Player of the Year award. Before that, only Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo won two players of the year awards in a row. Meanwhile, Manchester City's defender Ruben Dias earned the Premier League Player of the season 2020-2021 award.
Read BCL Football: Fakirerpool thump Wari 4-1
Premier League award winners
Player of the Season: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Young Player of the Season: Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Goal of the Season: Erik Lamela (Tottenham)
Manager of the Season: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
Italian Serie A award winners
Inter Milan won the Serie A title for the first time in 11 years while Juventas failed to win it for the first time in ten years. Belgian striker RomeluLukaku was the most important player for Inter Milan. He scored 24 goals for the Nerazzurri to help them win the league for the 19th time.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also won awards.
Read What can Bangladesh Achieve in remaining World Cup 2022 Qualifiers?
Italian Serie A award winners
Most Valuable Player: Belgium RomeluLukaku (Internazionale)
Best Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Midfielder: NicolòBarella (Internazionale)
Best Defender: Cristian Romero (Atalanta)
Best Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan)
Best Young Player: DušanVlahovic (Fiorentina)
Winners in Bundesliga
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski received the player of the season award, breaking Gerd Muller's record of most goals in a season. The Polish striker scored 42 goals in only 29 games for the Bavarians, helping them win the German Bundesliga for the 31st time.
Lewandowski won the award for the fifth and second seasons in a row. Dortmund's English midfielder Jude Bellingham was named the Silver Arrow award winner for the best young player.
Read Ballon d'Or 2021: Who Will Win the Prestigious Award?
Ligue 1 award winners
Paris Saint-Germain striker KylianMbappé has won the Ligue 1 player of the year award for the second year in a row despite failing to win a major trophy last season. Lillie won the French league title in 2020-2021. However, only two Lillie players made the cut in the team of the season.
PSG's KylianMbappé had a fantastic season, scoring 42 goals in 47 games. Meanwhile, Mbappé's teammate Keylor Navas was named the best goalkeeper of the year following another outstanding season with the club.
Bottom Line
Some new players emerged in addition to the well-known ones at the end of the European football season 2020-2021. The Messi-Ronaldo era is coming to an end. So, stars like KylianMbappé andErlingHaalandwill have to fill the void. Also, the major teams were not very active on the transfer market last year because of Covid-19. So, the big teams did not perform the way they had hoped to and they are likely to be more active in the transfer market this year to make the 2021-2022 season more competitive.
Read FIFA, AFC Qualifiers: Indian captain Sunil Chhetri strike twice to beat Bangladesh 2-0
Winners and losers at the end of 2020/2021 European Season
The European football season 2020/2021 has come to an end after overcoming multiple challenges because of Coronavirus. All of Europe's major teams are in financial problems in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 situation. So, the teams were relatively quiet during the previous summer transfer window, which had a significant impact on their outcomes. Several European clubs have fallen short of the expectations for the 2021 season. Relatively weak clubs have enjoyed a successful season. This article discusses how the major European clubs fared this season. Let's take a look at the winners and losers at the end of the 2020/2021 European Season.
English Premier League
Manchester City were crowned English Premier League champion for the 2020/2021 season. Although Man City had a difficult start to the season, they were able to turn things around in December. Manchester City climbed to the top of the table with 15 consecutive victories and went on to win the Premier League with 86 points.
This is Manchester City's seventh first-division league title. In addition to the Premier League, Manchester City also won the EFL Cup and secured the Champions League final for the first time. Citizens will face Chelsea in the CL final. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will end the season with a high if they win the best tournament in Europe.
On the other hand, Manchester United came second in the Premier League with 74 points. Ole Gunnar Solskjær's Manchester United reached the Europa League final under, but the Red Devils were defeated by Villarreal in the title match. This season, Manchester United failed to win a single trophy.
Following the sacking of Frank Lampard in January, Thomas Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea's new manager. Chelsea reached the Champions League and FA Cup finals under his management but lost the FA Cup final against Leicester City. They will be able to finish the season well if they win the Champions League. Chelsea have also confirmed their place in the Premier League's top four.
2020 premier league champions Liverpool finished third in this season Premier League with 69 points. Despite being in a dire situation in the middle of the season, the All-Reds were able to secure a Champions League spot as their form improved towards the end of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal also had a bad season. Tottenham reached the EFL Cup final, where they were defeated by Manchester City. Arsenal, on the other hand, had advanced to the Europa League semi-finals.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: 3rd ODI Match Preview
Spanish La Liga
Atletico Madrid won the 2021 La Liga title with 86 points, after a strong battle throughout the season. Despite their success in the Spanish league, Atletico Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League in the quarterfinals.
On the other hand, Real Madrid finished second in the league this season and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. However, Real Madrid finished the season trophy-less for the first time since 2010. While, Barcelona won the Copa Del Rey but exited the Champions League in the round of 16 and finished third in the league. Among others, Villarreal won the Europa League and Sevilla secured the top four of the points table.
Italian Serie A
After ten years Italian Serie has won a new team. Inter Milan is the new league champion with 91 points. On the other hand, after being the champion for ten years in a row, Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventas have to be satisfied with fourth place in the league this season. The Turin-based team won the Supercoppa Italiana despite not winning the league.
Second-placed AC Milan (69 points) and third-placed Atlanta (6 points) have been confirmed as Champions League participants for next season. Napoli finished fifth in the league despite their excellent performances throughout the season.
Read: Copa America 2021: Things you need to know
Others
Bayern Munich have once again won the German Bundesliga. They earned a total of 78 points. Bayern Munich reached the Champions League quarter-finals this season. On the other hand, Leipzig (65), Borussia Dortmund (64) and Wolfsburg (61) have confirmed the top four of the league.
Meanwhile, Lille have won the French Ligue 1 with 83 points, following a season-long contest with Paris Saint-Germain, who came in second with 82 points. Paris Saint-Germain reached the Champions League semi-finals this season.
Among the other major European leagues, Ajax have won the Dutch league, Sporting Lisbon have won the Portuguese league, and Rangers have won the newly formed Scottish Premiership for the first time.
Bottom Line
At the end of the 2020/2021 European season, it is apparent that several of the major teams failed to meet the expectations. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, and PSG are among these teams. They were unable to form strong squads during the summer transfer window last season due to the coronavirus. Next season, fans will be permitted inside the stadium, and it is predicted that the European giants will make a strong comeback in the 2021/2022 season.
Read: Tamim, Shakib and Mustafizur Reach Unique Milestones in the first ODI against Sri Lanka
UEFA Euro 2020: All you need to know
The month-long UEFA Euro 2020 tournament will take place in various parts of Europe from June 11 to July 11. The Union of European Football Associations is hosting the 16th UEFA European Championship. The European Championship is regarded as the most important football competition after FIFA World Cup. So there is an added interest among the fans for this tournament. Portugal are the defending champion. The video assistant referee system will be used in this edition of the European Championship. There is a curiosity about this year's tournament, so all you need to know about Euro 2020 is discussed in this article.
Why has UEFA Euro 2020 been delayed for a year?
UEFA was concerned about the safety of players and personnel as traveling all the host cities would have been risky amid the coronavirus outbreak in early 2020. The UEFA reported in early March that they were optimistic in their ability to cope with the crisis and that they were in touch with the World Health Organization to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection.
Read: International Athletes show solidarity with the Palestinians
However, numerous domestic and UEFA competitions had begun to be postponed because of the impact of covid-19. Big European leagues, including the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 had been suspended by mid-March. UEFA held a videoconference with representatives from its affiliates in March 2020 to discuss the effect of the epidemic on football tournaments, including Euro 2020. Following that meeting, UEFA announced that the tournament will be postponed until next year.
Who will host Euro 2020?
The European Championships will take place in 11 cities across Europe for the first time. The tournament will take place between mid-June and mid-July.
The cities that will be hosting the tournament are London (England), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Copenhagen (Denmark), Glasgow (Scotland), and Seville (Spain).
The stadiums where the matches will take place are as follows:
Wembley Stadium: 7 matches including semifinals and the championship match
Saint Petersburg Stadium: 7 matches
Baku Olympic Stadium: 4 matches
Football Arena Munich: 4 matches
Olimpico in Rome: 4 matches
Johan Cruijff Arena: 4 matches
National Arena Bucharest: 4 matches
Puskás Aréna: 4 matches
Parken Stadium: 4 matches
Hampden Park: 4 matches
Stadium La Cartuja Sevilla: 4 matches
Read: Greatest Football XI: Best Brazil Team of All Time
Who will play who in the group stage?
The format of the tournament is that the best two teams from six groups will reach the last 16 and the top four third-place finishers from all groups will also ensure the round of 16.
Let's take a look at the groups at a glance
Group A
Group C
Group E
Italy
Austria
Poland
Wales
Ukraine
Sweden
Turkey
North Macedonia
Spain
Switzerland
Netherlands
Slovakia
Group B
Group D
Group F
Russia
Croatia
Portugal
Denmark
England
France
Finland
Czech Republic
Germany
Belgium
Scotland
Hungary
UEFA Euro Prize Money 2020
At least 9.25 million euros will be awarded to each team competing in Euro 2021. In addition, for any win in the group stage, teams will receive 1.5 million Euros, and for a draw, they will receive 7, 50,000 Euros.
Teams will be awarded 2 million Euros if they progress to the last 16; 3.25 million Euros if they advance to the quarterfinals and 5 million Euros if they qualify to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, the runner-up will receive 7 million euros and the champion team will get 10 million euros.
Read: Best Argentina Football XI of All Time
Bottom Line
The above discussion covers all you need to know about Euro 2020. The European Championship will finally be held after overcoming all the obstacles amidst the novel coronavirus. The positive news is that the spectators will be allowed to enter the stadium to see all the matches of this tournament, but that will be limited. The tournament committee is determined to follow health and safety guidelines in order to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection. Hopefully, the best team will win this year's event.
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Who will win the Champions League 2021?
After a lot of excitement in the group stage and knockout rounds, the two teams that will compete in the Champions League final this year were finally confirmed in the first week of May. Manchester City advanced to the final after a 4-1 aggregate victory over Paris Saint-Germain. On the other hand, Chelsea reached the Champions League final for the third time after defeating Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the semifinal. Fans all over the world are looking forward to a thrilling final between these two English giants. In this episode, we discuss who will win the Champions League 2021?
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Who is the favorite?
When comparing the two teams' performances this season, it's clear that Manchester City are a step ahead of Chelsea in every area. Therefore, Man City are the overwhelming favorite to win the championship. Albeit, Chelsea have improved since Thomas Tuchel took over as manager in January.
Apart from consolidating their position in the Premier League, Tuchel proved his worth as a coach by beating Manchester City in the semi-finals to secure the FA Cup final and taking Chelsea to the Champions League final.
The strengths of the two teams are analyzed below in quest of the Champions League 2021 trophy.
Read: How European football is badly affected by the pandemic covid-19?
Manchester City
UEFA Champions League season 2021
Record:W: 11, D: 1, L: 0 |Top scorer: Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres (4)| Top Assists: Kevin De Bruyne (4)
Key Players: Kevin De Bruyne, Rúben Dias, Fernandinho
Manager:Pep Guardiola
Why Man City can win the title?
Manchester City has been the clear favorite to win the Champions League 2021 this season, thanks to Pep Guardiola's brilliant tactics, squad depth, and the desire to win the club's first-ever Champions League trophy. The master of Tiki-Taka football, Pep Guardiola led FC Barcelona to win two Champions League titles between 2008 and 2012.
After leaving Barcelona, Guardiola coached Bayern Munich for three seasons and his fifth season is underway at Manchester City but he hasn't won a Champions League in the last 10 years. So, many believe Pep can't win Europe's most prestigious club trophy without the best player in the world, Lionel Messi.
Read: Football Transfers 2021: The hot favorites to replace Sergio Aguero at Man City
This time Pep Guardiola, who played record eight Champions League semi-finals as a manager, has got a chance to dispel that slander. Manchester City have had to play without strikers since the beginning of the season.
Ilkay Gündoğan, Bernardo Silva, and versatile midfielder Kevin De Bruyne all have played as false nine this season. Furthermore, Pep's disciples have mastered a great strategy of scoring goals by repeatedly pressing the opponent's half with a clockwise pass or zigzag pass.
Manchester City have been in excellent form since December. Except for a few games, Citizens have won every match this year. To put it another way, they're on an incredible winning streak. As a result, the players' confidence will remain high ahead of the Champions League final. To beat such a team, the opponent must do something extraordinary. Otherwise, Man City will win the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Read: Pro Kabaddi Tournament Could Rejuvenate Bangladesh’s National Sport
Manchester City probable starting lineup:
Ederson; Kyle Walker, Rúben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mundey; Fernandinho, İlkay Gündoğan, Kevin De Bruyne; Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Sergio Agüero.
Chelsea
UEFA Champions League season 2021
Record:W: 8, D: 3, L: 1|Top scorer:Olivier Giroud (6) | Top Assists: Kai Havertz (3)
Key Players: N'Golo Kanté, César Azpilicueta, Kai Havertz
Manager:Thomas Tuchel
Why Chelsea can win the title?
Roman Abramovich replaced Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager with Thomas Tuchel in the last week of January this year. Tuchel is expected to finish in the top four in the Premier League this season. But he surprised everyone by guiding Chelsea to the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
Tuchel has previously shown his credibility as a manager. PSG reached the Champions League final for the first time last season under his guidance. However, Paris Saint-Germain were disappointed to lose the Champions League final match to Bayern Munich.
Thomas Tuchel's appointment as Chelsea manager restored the team's confidence. He began his journey by focusing on not losing matches, and as a result, he has developed a strong Chelsea defense. As their focus has turned to win more games, players like Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and N'Golo Kante have become more aggressive on the attack.
After eliminating Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final and Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, Chelsea have gained even more confidence. Thomas Tuchel's team quickly figured out how to destroy a formidable opponent. It will not be impossible for Chelsea to be the best team in Europe for the second time if they can play according to their own strategy in the Champions League final.
Read: Potential Young Players Who Could Rule World Football Next Decade
Chelsea probable starting lineup:
Edouard Mendy, Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Ben Chilwell, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz
UEFA Champion League 2021 final match fixture:
30 May 2021 (1 AM, BST) - Manchester City v Chelsea - Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul
Verdict
There are a few things to consider when predicting who will win the Champions League 2021? The teams' squad depth, the overall performance in the current season, whether every member of the team is fit for the finals, the players' performance on a given day, and sometimes luck plays a big factor to win the final. Those who can play the best football have a great chance of winning the final. Overall, a tough battle is anticipated between Manchester City and Chelsea.
Read: Summer Window 2021: Five Potential Big Football Transfers
Arsenal’s 25-year run in European competition on the line
So much for Arsenal being one of the elite soccer clubs in Europe.
Three weeks after being among the instigators of the controversially closed-off and ultimately ill-fated Super League, the English team is facing the ignominy of being shut out of continental competition for the first time in 25 years.
A failure to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Villarreal in the Europa League semifinals on Thursday would end Arsenal’s quarter-century run of participating in either the Champions League or UEFA’s secondary club competitions.
Such a degrading of status would be ironic, considering the planned Super League — devised and then aborted within a chaotic 48-hour period last month — would have positioned Arsenal as one of 12 elite teams in the European game.
The significance of the match against Villarreal, likely to be played against the backdrop of more fan protests against Arsenal’s American ownership for its involvement in the Super League project, isn’t lost on Mikel Arteta.
“It is a big moment,” the Arsenal manager said. “Not for me but for the club, for everything that has happened in the last two years, in the last months, and for all the instability that we have been hit with for many different reasons.
“I think it will be really important, and a big step forward, if we are able to be in that final and have the opportunity to win that trophy.”
It’s not just Arteta’s future that could be on the line on Thursday. Arsenal’s ability to attract players for next season, and to retain the services of its own best players, might hinge on winning the Europa League and gaining the bonus prize of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Otherwise, it’s out of Europe, a situation Arsenal hasn’t been in since the 1995-96 season — a year that fell between the storied managerial eras of George Graham and Arsene Wenger.
For Arteta, that would be unacceptable.
“But it’s the reality,” he said. “It’s not what we want, obviously, but there are a lot of things that have happened in that period for many reasons.
“One is the level has been raised to a standard that is unprecedented in the (Premier League) and we are not the only club that has been out of that. But obviously no one accepts that situation and we want to change it straightaway. This season, we have the opportunity to do that.”
Arteta delivered the FA Cup to Arsenal in August, at the end of his first season at the club, but his position would be uncertain should his team be eliminated by Villarreal, which — adding to the weight of the occasion — is coached by Unai Emery.
Emery is a Spaniard who replaced Wenger at Arsenal in May 2018, following the Frenchman’s nearly 22 years in the job. He lasted only 18 months.
Arteta said the success of this season will now be determined by winning the Europa League or not.
“It will be judged like this,” he said. “How good or bad job you are doing is judged by many factors by different people. Externally, it’s only when you win or lose. That is the defining moment.”
Arteta’s big players need to step up against Villarreal and there’s no one bigger in the team than captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who declared upon signing a three-year deal in September that he wanted to become an “Arsenal legend.”
That hasn’t materialized, because of a mixture of off-field issues — he recently contracted malaria, and also took time off in February when his mother became seriously ill — and poor form, which he partially put down to struggling to get fired up for matches because of the lack of fans in stadiums.
Aubameyang, whose season tally of 15 goals in all competitions is way down on what he typically delivers, said Wednesday he owes Arteta a big performance.
“I have to give something back to the club and the fans who are awaiting something from me,” the striker said on a video call. “This is the right moment to show I am capable of doing it.”
How the European Super League could have ruled Messi and Ronaldo out of the FIFA World Cup 2022?
Is it possible to imagine a World Cup without Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?However, such concerns were raised when an announcement came on Sunday (April 18th) that a new competition branded the "European Super League" will be launched with the best clubs from across Europe. The competition was initially planned to feature 15 topclubs as permanent members.UEFA responded immediately, warning that the teams would be excluded and their players would be banned from participating in international competitions.This article discusses, how the European Super League could have ruled Messi and Ronaldo out of the FIFA World Cup 2022?
What is the European Super League?
The European Super League is a brand new competition for so-called elite clubs which will feature 20 teams. There will be 15 founding clubs and the names of 12 clubs have been released so far. They are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham from Premier League; Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid from La Liga; and Inter, Juventus, AC Milan from Serie A.
Read: How European football is badly affected by the pandemic covid-19?
Three more clubs are expected to join as founding members. Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund are believed to have been contacted, but none of them have shown a desire to join.
Five more teams will be picked for the competition each season based on their domestic season performance.
Tournament format
The clubs will be split into two groups and the matches will be played on a home and away basis, as usual. The top three teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. For the final two spots, the fourth and fifth teams in each group will play a two-leg play-off match. Then the rest of the way is like the Champions League.
Expected tournament schedule
The season's calendar can be complicated since Super League teams still tend to compete in the domestic league. It'll be a packed schedule and being occupied in such a tournament means bidding farewell to the Champions League. The Super League authority has confirmed that the matches will take place in mid-week. The final will be one match and it will be held by the end of May.
When is the Super League set to begin?
FC Barcelona said in an official statement that they want to begin the league as soon as possible. However, the clubs announced in a joint statement that the competition will begin in August.
How much money will the clubs earn?
European Super League teams will get a huge financial benefit. The founding clubs will receive 3.5 billion euros for infrastructure improvements and debt relief. The prize money for teams in the Super League will be significantly higher than the prize money for teams in the Champions League.
Read: Football Transfers 2021: The hot favorites to replace Sergio Aguero at Man City
UEFA's response on super league
UEFA, the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A all responded quickly to the Super League's announcement. In an official statement, UEFA said that they are all working together to avoid this unethical project, and they believe the super league is formed to protect the clubs' self-interest.
UEFA also stated that football is a merit-based sport and that they will never support such a decision. As a result, super league clubs will be banned from competing in any domestic, continental, or worldwide competition. Players from the teams will also be unable to represent their country in any international matches.
After the announcement of UEFA, there are fears that superstar footballers like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will not be seen in FIFA World Cup 2022.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have yet to win the World Cup. So they want to make one last attempt to win the World Cup in Qatar. But if UEFA's announcement is true, then apart from these two best footballers of all time, almost half of the world's best footballers will be absent in the World Cup 2022. Because nearly all of the world's biggest stars play for Europe's top clubs.
Read: Potential Young Players Who Could Rule World Football Next Decade
Protest and confirmation of all English clubs withdrawal
Supporters from a number of Premier League clubs have protested the club owners' arbitrary decision. Fans of Liverpool and Chelsea were prominent among them. Within 48 hours of the widespread criticism, all Premier League clubs reversed their positions and announced their withdrawal from the Super League.
Following the announcement by all Premier League teams, the Super League's other six clubs would no longer remain in their previous stands. So, the European Super League's dissolution may be announced at any moment. However, UEFA and FIFA must place more emphasis on protecting everyone's interests.
Read: Summer Window 2021: Five Potential Big Football Transfers
Bottom Line
Coronavirus has placed all of Europe's big clubs into a huge economic crisis. As a result, they're attempting to cover the financial loss by introducing new initiatives. However, there is no valid reason to support a proposal that undermines the very essence of football. The demands of the clubs are not completely unreasonable. In this case, UEFA needed to be more vigilant. If the Super League tournament is not held as expected, big names like Messi and Ronaldo will be able to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2022. This will be great news for millions of football fans around the world.
Read: Lionel Messi: The Argentine Football Star’s Most Unbreakable Records
European Super League: Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli says project cannot proceed
Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli says the European Super League (ESL) project cannot proceed as Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid joined the six Premier League clubs in withdrawing,reports BBC.
Agnelli was one of the chief architects of the breakaway plans, which involved 12 clubs from England, Spain and Italy.
Also Read:Super League collapses after the 6 English clubs withdraw
But with eight of the 12 teams pulling out, he accepts it cannot now go ahead.
"To be frank and honest no, evidently that is not the case," said Agnelli, on whether the ESL could still happen.
"I remain convinced of the beauty of that project, of the value that it would have developed to the pyramid, of the creation of the best competition in the world, but evidently no. I don't think that project is now still up and running."
Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan announced their withdrawal on Wednesday morning.
Also Read: Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan drop out of Super League
The Juventus chairman was described as a "snake and a liar" by Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin on Monday after the announcement of the breakaway plans on Sunday evening.
Agnelli resigned his position as chairman of the European Clubs' Association on Sunday and refused to take calls from Ceferin.
The six Premier League clubs involved all withdrew within hours of each other on Tuesday following a furious backlash against the plans.
Manchester City were the first club to pull out after Chelsea had signalled their intent to do so by preparing documentation to withdraw.
The other four sides - Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham - then followed suit late on Tuesday evening.
In announcing their withdrawal on Wednesday, Atletico Madrid said "harmony is essential" between the club and the fans, and added that the first-team squad and coach Diego Simeone had backed their decision because "sporting merits must prevail over any other criteria".
In their statement, Serie A side Inter Milan said they were "committed to giving fans the best football experience", adding: "Our engagement with all stakeholders to improve the football industry will never change."
The 12-team Super League, which also included Spanish sides Barcelona and Real Madrid and Italy's AC Milan and Juventus was announced on Sunday to widespread condemnation.
"Despite the announced departure of the English clubs, forced to take such decisions due to the pressure put on them, we are convinced our proposal is fully aligned with European law and regulations," the ESL said earlier on Wednesday, adding it was "convinced that the current status quo of European football needs to change".
"Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is insisting on the idea of keeping the group together to push for change," says Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.
"Barcelona say they agreed to the ESL, but only if the season ticket holders' assembly approve it, which could be their way out."
Super League collapses after the 6 English clubs withdraw
The Super League collapsed before a ball was kicked in the European breakaway competition after being abandoned by the six English clubs, leaving the Spanish and Italian participants stranded.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham throughout Tuesday evening deserted the proposal to launch a largely-closed midweek competition amid an escalating backlash from their supporters and warnings from the British government that legislation could be introduced to thwart it.
Also Read: UEFA president urges Super League owners to reverse decision
The Super League project was overseen by Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, who also signed up Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in Spain, and Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan from Italy. The rival for the UEFA-run Champions League became unviable without the six clubs from the world’s richest league.
The remaining fledgling Super League organization was defiant, blaming “pressure” being applied for forcing out the English clubs and insisting the proposal complied with the law and could yet be revived in some form.
“Given the current circumstances,” the Super League said in a statement, “we shall reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project, always having in mind our goals of offering fans the best experience possible while enhancing solidarity payments for the entire football community.”
The English clubs heeded the appeals from UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin to remain part of the Champions League, which has a qualification criteria based on a team’s performance in the domestic league.
Also Read: Threats of expulsion as UEFA confronts Super League rebel 12
“I said yesterday that it is admirable to admit a mistake and these clubs made a big mistake,” he said. “But they are back in the fold now and I know they have a lot to offer not just to our competitions but to the whole of the European game.
“The important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that the game enjoyed before this and move forward together.”
As it became clear Chelsea and City were quitting the Super League on Tuesday evening, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and his teammates posted a message advocating staying within the open European competitions.
Liverpool, which is owned by the Boston Red Sox investment group, eventually issued a statement thanking those inside and outside the club for “valuable contributions” before making the decision to stick within existing structures.
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw also went against his club by tweeting his backing of the existing Champions League minutes before his club’s about-turn.
“We have listened carefully to the reaction from our fans, the UK government and other key stakeholders,” said the club owned by the American Glazer family and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. “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.”
Just as the Glazers also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Stan Kroenke has the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams in his portfolio along with Arsenal. It is the closed models of American sports that were believed to be so appealing to the U.S. owners by offering financial certainty.
But they were resisted by fans of English clubs.
“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,” the north London club said. “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 apologize for it.
“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.”
Tottenham also gave a detailed explanation for why it signed up before backing away.
“We regret the anxiety and upset caused by the ESL proposal,” chairman Daniel Levy said. “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.
“We 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.”
Chelsea, which is owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, said it only joined the Super League group 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,” Chelsea said in a statement hours after its game against Brighton had been delayed by fan protests outside its Stamford Bridge stadium.
The Premier League threatened to sanction the six rebel clubs and Prime Minister Boris Johnson considered introducing laws to stop them forming a new European competition he called a “cartel.”
Divisions within the Super League clubs also grew with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola saying the Super League would damage the integrity and values of sport. Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has also expressed concerns about the actions of his club’s owners.
The Premier League had threatened the six clubs with expulsion if they tried to go it alone in Europe. The other 14 clubs met Tuesday and “unanimously and vigorously” rejected the Super League plans.
Britain’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said out-of-touch owners “completely misjudged the strength of feeling from fans, players and the whole country.”
The government is exploring adopting the 50-plus-1 rule from Germany that gives fans the majority of voting rights, nominally to protect clubs from being controlled by private investors.
“Our fan-led review will still happen and I remain convinced of the need for reform,” Dowden said. “We must make sure this never happens again.”
Everton decried the “preposterous arrogance” of Super League clubs. Everton’s nine titles are the fourth most by a team in the history of the English top division, and the club from Merseyside was considered part of the country’s elite in the 1980s and early 1990s.
“The backlash is understandable and deserved — and has to be listened to,” Everton’s board of directors said in a statement. “This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan.”
The Italian clubs declined to comment earlier, and the Spanish teams were not commenting late Tuesday.