Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli gives awkward interview describing the ‘BLOOD PACT’ between the 12 founding European Super League members… just moments before ill-fated venture’s suspension due to the Premier League’s Big Six pulling out
Andrea Agnelli gave an awkward interview hyping up the European Super League and describing of a ‘blood pact’ between all 12 founder clubs just moments before the much-maligned venture was suspended.
After it was announced late on Sunday night that 12 founding members had joined up to the Super League, the move had created a civil war within football – with fans, media and politicians all getting involved in a bid to stop it from going ahead.
And just 48 hours later following immense backlash, the Super League has been officially suspended after all six English clubs formally withdrew from their commitments.
Andrea Agnelli talked up the ‘blood pact’ between the 12 European Super League clubs just moments before the ill-fated venture’s suspension
Tuesday’s latest twist, a relief to every football fan across Europe, came just moments after Juventus chairman Agnelli continued to talk the much-maligned project up.
‘There is a blood pact between the clubs, we are going forward,’ Agnelli said in an interview with Italian paper La Repubblica.
‘This project has a 100 per cent possibility of success.’
The Premier League’s Big Six’s decision to pull out from the Super League meant that only six clubs were left standing – Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid – leading to the decision to put a stop to the controversial proposals for the time being.
On another dramatic Tuesday night when Chelsea fans staged a mass protest outside Stamford Bridge before their Premier League clash with Brighton, City and Chelsea began the process of killing off the rebel league by pulling out late in the afternoon, putting huge pressure on the other 10 founder members to follow suit, as they held crisis talks over their exit strategies.
No sooner had they thrown in the towel than Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, one of the architects of the new rebel movement, sensationally announced his resignation. And, before the night was through, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham had followed suit.
Chelsea and Man City led the way as all six English clubs announced they intended to leave
So too did Man United, who also announced that chief executive Ed Woodward would resign
A statement from the League then followed, in which it confirmed it ‘shall reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project’.
Sportsmail has learned that all the clubs could face financial penalties for pulling out as the ESL contract signed last week contained clauses committing them for at least three years.
Yet all concluded that taking an economic hit was a price worth paying for limiting the reputational damage.
The speed of events represents a humiliation for the Super League’s chairman Florentino Perez, and the American owners of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, who were key to the project.
The breakaway competition threatened to drastically change the football landscape in England and across the continent.
The European Super League reacted to the news and said plans would be halted temporarily
But despite the plans coming in for widespread criticism, the Super League maintained that the current climate is unsustainable as they confirmed the venture’s suspension for the time being.
‘The European Super League is convinced that the current status quo of European football needs to change,’ read Tuesday’s statement.
‘We are proposing a new European competition because the existing system does not work. Our proposal is aimed at allowing the sport to evolve while generating resources and stability for the full football pyramid, including helping to overcome the financial difficulties experienced by the entire football community as a result of the pandemic.
‘It would also provide materially enhanced solidarity payments to all football stakeholders.’