Sir Alex Ferguson defends Everton in disapproval at European Super League formation
Sir Alex Ferguson is up in arms at the prospect of a breakaway European Super League and namechecked Everton as a reason for his disapproval of the scheme.
The ESL has been set up by 12 founding members, six of which (Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur) come from the Premier League.
It would see these ‘elite’ European sides play out their own continental mini-league and practically shut the door to other clubs, allowing them to maximise profit and ensure their financial standing is not affected by potential problems on the pitch.
Ferguson, ex-Manchester United manager and icon of the club, had his say on the plans in an interview with Reuters.
“Talk of a Super League is a move away from 70 years of European club football,” he said.
“Both as a player for a provincial team Dunfermline in the 60s and as a manager at Aberdeen winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup, for a small provincial club in Scotland it was like climbing Mount Everest.
“Everton are spending £500 million to build a new stadium with the ambition to play in Champions League. Fans all over love the competition as it is.”
All for nothing?
It’s a disgraceful decision by the greedy Premier League six and a huge show of disrespect to every other club in the country.
Perhaps we should feel honoured that our presence is troubling the elite clubs but we can’t help feel anger, dismay and bitterness over how this is being played out, and the reasons behind it.
As Ferguson said, we’ve got bit ambitions ourselves and the creation of a brand spanking new stadium was supposed to be one of the crowning moments of our ascent back to the big time.
Our £500million plans for a new 52,000-capacity stadium on the Liverpool waterfront was finally given the go-ahead last month [BBC] after countless years of campaigning.
As much as we love Goodison Park and the heritage behind it the reality is that we are losing out on vital funds and this new enhanced stadium move is supposed to open up new possibilities for us and allow the Blues to compete with the European elite.
But now we’re being told that could all be for nothing.
It’s a real sickener for fans and our owner Farhad Moshiri who is investing big to get us to the top.
Now we’re being told that could be made impossible, and it leaves a really sour taste.
In other Everton news, Fabrizio Romano claims it will cost at least £43million for European club to prise Blues ace.