Backlash, lawsuits and anger welcome the new European Super League

The announcement of the European Super League has ignited a sh*t storm of epic proportions across the European continent, and for that matter the entire football world. From what I can read, there is considerably more opposition then there is approval – and by a lot!

There is already talk that two of England’s “big six” clubs could be pulling a U-turn and dropping out of the new league due to the massive amount of backlash their clubs are receiving. This new league could be dead in the water before the ink is dry on their “binding” agreement.

FIFA, UEFA, the major European domestic leagues, and even national governments are either preparing lawsuits, sanctions or outright threats against the 12 clubs.

Folks, this is going to get real ugly, real quick and I’m not sure there is any common ground to be found.

Unfortunately, caught in the middle of this mayhem are the players, who absolutely had no say in this matter. If they play for one of these 12 clubs they could potentially be banned from domestic and international competitions. In other words, they could be shutout of playing in the upcoming European Championship and World Cup.

Former Liverpool star and current TV pundit Jamie Carragher was not afraid to point a finges, “What I would say is this is not about Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal or Tottenham, this is John Henry and FSG, this is Roman Abramovich, Sheikh Mansour, Stan Kroenke, Daniel Levy – these are the people to blame for this.”

Even Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the ESL format “goes against basic sporting integrity.”

And finally, the other factor to consider in all of this is the supporters. Some may really like a format that ensures your club plays in an elite competition every year, while others will insist it’s the history, the tradition and the integrity of the game that matters most. Wins, draws and losses do matter, and competing for your spot in the big leagues or big tournaments must be earned, not paid for in cash.

For me, I believe in the history and the tradition of this game. I believe only success on the field should be considered when deciding who is the best. Nothing should be bought, it should be earned. Now, maybe I’m old school, but one of the reasons I fell in love with this game in the first place was because it honored it’s history and tradition. Sure, football has made some changes to advance with the times, however, this concept appears to be too much to handle.

What will ultimately happen…who knows, but I do know it will be a long, hot summer in Europe, and it won’t be pretty.

Gunner1953