Sources: Man City stance revealed as Super League relaunch plans confirmed
The organisers of the Super League are growing increasingly resigned to the fact that attempts to relaunch the breakaway competition will have to go ahead without English clubs like Man City, sources have told Football Insider.
City were one of nine clubs to pull out of the Super League almost immediately after its launch sparked an unprecedented wave of protests in April last year.
But Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have remained steadfast in their commitment to the competition which they deem, in the words of Real president Florentino Perez, the only way to “save football”.
A22 Sports Management, the company tasked with assisting in the creation of the Super League, announced the appointment of Bernd Reichart as their new CEO last Wednesday (19 October).
The former German television tsar has outlined plans to launch in time for the 2024-25 season, the same campaign in which rivals Uefa are due to roll out an expanded Champions League format.
Reichart has also claimed that the door remains open for English clubs to enter dialogue over the revised plans for the league, which will feature 20 teams instead of the original 12 and a promotion-relegation system.
But a source with knowledge of internal politics in the Premier League has told Football Insider that English clubs accept that there is next to no hope of selling Super League to their fans, even with a sophisticated new PR strategy.
Aside from the lack of appetite from supporters, A22 know that the potential introduction of an independent regulator with the power to stop clubs from joining breakaway competitions is another bulwark against their plans.
The fate of the independent regulator was in doubt during Liz Truss’ brief time in Downing Street, but Rishi Sunak’s camp are thought to be more receptive to the idea.
Several members of the Super League cabal have also appointed new supporter boards who would no doubt lobby against any attempts to relaunch the competition with the same zeal that scuppered the rebellion last April.
As relayed by the Liverpool ECHO, Liverpool have already stated that their stance on Super League has not changed.
There has been no official word from the two Manchester clubs, Tottenham, and Arsenal, although new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly refused to give a “hard no” when asked about a return to Super League in September.
A22 elected not to comment when approached, instead referring Football Insider to Reichart’s comments in recent media appearances.
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