Britain will do everything possible to block the formation of a Super League proposed by 12 European soccer clubs including six from England, sports minister Oliver Dowden said on Monday, April 19, adding that it would act even if football authorities could not.
Dowden said he had met with the Premier League, the Football Association (FA), and the president of UEFA, and have given them the government’s full backing in trying to block the proposal.
“Be in no doubt, if they can’t act, we will. We will put everything on the table to prevent this from happening,” Dowden told parliament.
“We are examining every option from governance reform to competition law and mechanisms that allow football to take place. Put simply, we will be reviewing everything the government does to support these clubs to play… We will do what ever it takes to protect our national game.”
European soccer’s governing body UEFA also led a backlash against plans for a breakaway Super League on Monday, stating that associated players and clubs could be banned from its competitions – including three of this season’s Champions League semi-finalists.
Addressing an emergency meeting the day after 12 of Europe’s top clubs announced the new league, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin described the Super League plan as a “spit in the face” of all football lovers.
“As soon as possible they (the clubs) and the players have to be banned from all our competitions,” he added.
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