Sources: Arsenal chiefs in Super League talks ahead of announcement
Senior figures at Arsenal met for internal talks over their Super League involvement before their club announcement on Friday, sources have told Football Insider.
The Gunners released a statement on Friday morning (22 December) declaring that they will not take part in the reformed Super League competition.
The North London side were one of six Premier League clubs who were involved in the initial Super League plans when they were announced in 2021.
Following backlash from fans, pundits and players, Arsenal withdrew from the project just days later.
Plans for a breakaway league were revived this week after the European Court of Justice ruled that Fifa and Uefa “acted unlawfully” in blocking its creation.
But despite efforts to restructure the proposal, many of Europe’s biggest clubs announced on Thursday that they will not be taking part.
Barcelona and Real Madrid remain at the forefront of the Super League’s plans, but the competition is so far struggling to find enough teams to fill its 64-club format.
Arsenal delayed their decision for over 24 hours and ended up being one of the final ‘Big Six’ clubs to withdraw – Liverpool published their own statement hours after.
Well-placed sources have told Football Insider that senior figures at Arsenal were eager to hold internal talks to assess their options before releasing their statement on Friday morning.
It is understood that the majority of Arsenal’s board were against joining the Super League due to the risk of sanctions and public backlash, and their decision was made easier by the wave of European clubs that rejected the project.
The Premier League and the UK government introduced regulations after 2021 that threatened clubs with a 30-point deduction if they joined a breakaway league.
Super League participation would also prohibit Arsenal from competing in any form of Uefa competition, including the Champions League.
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