The twelve rebel clubs planning to form a European Super League (ESL) are “ready for dialogue” with the national leagues and UEFA, sources told ESPN.
With great hostility and opposition to the ESL proposal announced on Sunday from football and also by political leaders such as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, the main figures of the separatist cabal they accept the need for high-level conversations to expose their plans.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin described the group’s leaders as “snakes” during an explosive press conference on Monday in which he also said that the proposals, in which Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and others participated , were a “spit in front of football” lovers.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, president of the ESL group, responded by saying that football must “change and adapt”, while rejecting Ceferin’s threat to ban rebel clubs from UEFA competitions.
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A meeting of the 14 Premier League clubs not involved in the proposal (the ESL plan includes Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham) was held on Tuesday to try to agree on a strategy to combat the initiative.
A statement after the meeting said: “The Premier League, along with the FA, has met with clubs today to discuss the immediate implications of the Superliga proposal.
“The 14 clubs at the meeting unanimously and vigorously rejected the competition’s plans. The Premier League is considering all available actions to prevent it from progressing, as well as holding the shareholders involved accountable according to its rules.
“The League will continue to work with key stakeholders, including fan groups, government, UEFA, FA, EFL, PFA and LMA to protect the best interests of the game and ask clubs involved in the proposed competition to immediately cease their participation. “.
“The Premier League would like to thank the fans and all the stakeholders for the support they have shown this week on this important issue. The reaction demonstrates the significance of our football community and open pyramid for the people.”
Anger over the escape plan has remained intense as fans burned a Liverpool shirt before Monday’s game against Leeds United at Elland Road, and top ESL figures believe the talks can attenuate things and lead to a better understanding of the proposals, sources said.
Sources told ESPN that during Tuesday’s Premier League meeting, there was widespread anger over the behavior of the six absent clubs, but also a recognition that a dialogue needs to be maintained to get them back on the negotiating table.
Several clubs noted their approval of the threat of heavy sanctions in an attempt to make non-attendees aware of the seriousness of their actions, sources added.
Under the ESL plan, an annual solidarity payment of 160 million euros would be paid to Premier League clubs to ensure that the money generated by the new competition will be reduced to the national game.
ESL leaders are determined to explain their vision of staying in national leagues while playing only half a week in a Superliga.
However, opposition to the proposals remains strong, with national leagues and associations united in their determination to block any breakaway competition.
This report used information from James Olley of ESPN