Football’s biggest names were forced into a humiliating U-turn on Tuesday night as national backlash against the proposed European Super League left the championship in ruins just 48 hours after its official announcement.
Nine of the twelve clubs from all over England, Italy and Spain that had originally registered for the establishment of a new European Super League have already withdrawn within a few hours despite resistance from the European football association UEFA, including the Big Six of the Premier League.
The plans sparked national outrage, with protests from fans, players, managers and experts alike. Threats of government interference followed, with Ed Woodward becoming the Super League’s first victim, leaving his UEFA role and stepping down as vice chairman of Manchester United.
Maybe FIFA, UEFA and the Big Six would have benefited from investigating how the Formula One group, the FIA and their teams managed to prevent the same fiasco over a decade ago.
When Formula 1 management proposed new cost-cutting plans in 2009, tensions erupted as seven teams threatened to leave Formula 1 while Ferrari took the FIA to court.
Don’t underestimate your opposition
It was clear from the start that the owners of the “Big Six” Super League teams were underestimating the strength of the opposition they would face.
Within hours of the league’s announcement on Sunday afternoon, the Premier League, the English, Spanish and Italian football associations, as well as UEFA and FIFA, condemned the plans. Politicians also called for measures to prevent the series from continuing.
Players and experts didn’t shy away either. Former Manchester United and England defender and Sky Sports expert Gary Neville called their actions “an offense against football fans in this country”.
Fans made their opposition known as many gathered outside Stamford Bridge to protest ahead of the Chelsea v Brighton game on Tuesday night.
Underestimating the beliefs of the opposition is a great risk. When the Formula 1 group and the FIA attempted to recall the teams’ bluff in 2009, seven teams, including Red Bull, Ferrari and Renault, refused to enter the 2010 season unless changes were made.
They claimed that proposals for an optional budget cap in exchange for greater technical freedoms would create a two-tier championship.
In a bold step Ferrari even tried to obtain an injunction against the regulations of the FIA. However, the French courts declined their offer.
Liverpool owner John W. Henry was forced to apologize to the club’s fans and promise to regain their trust.
In such situations, someone is always made publicly responsible for the reputational damage it causes. As part of the deal to ensure the F1 teams start the 2010 season, FIA President Max Mosley had to agree not to run for re-election.
For football, however, it doesn’t look that easy. The prioritization of money over the principles of the game has only shown how contactless club owners are with their fans and how many more heads could roll if that wore off.
In contrast to the Super League, the Formula 1 teams and the FIA showed a willingness to compromise and once again put the long-term needs of their sport in the foreground during the pandemic. The biggest F1 teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have agreed to introduce a cost cap of $ 145 million, which actively harms their interests in order to increase the competitiveness of the sport.
If the Super League and UEFA want to rebuild the future of football, they should look into the history books because now the beautiful game seems ugly.
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