It's been on the back burner for quite some time now but, if the latest reports are to be believed, a European Super League has never been closer to becoming a reality.
English football's 'big five' in terms of revenue and global brand met this week at the suitably grandiose Dorchester Hotel in London to discuss tearing apart the Champions League and setting up an invitation only competition that would, as many have pointed out, completely do away with any kind of meritocracy and ensure that the rich stay rich and everyone else will have to make do with crumbs from the top table.
The report in the Sun has Ed Woodward from Man United, Ian Ayre from Liverpool, Ferran Soriano from Man City, Bruce Buck from Chelsea and Ivan Gazidis from Arsenal pictured coming away from the meeting with American billionaire Stephen Ross looking rather pleased with themselves.
Wednesday's Sun back page:
World Exclusive - Big Five in Super League summit#bbcpapers #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/amzflzk0QG— Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) March 2, 2016
Ross is the owner of the Miami Dolphins and he has been at the forefront of negotiations to turn the idea of an invitation only European league into a reality. The league would essentially null and void the current Champions League with the continent's most 'TV friendly' clubs automatically included every year, something which would have fairly drastic knock on effects for the likes of the Premier League and La Liga.
Obviously enough, the bare faced greed of all this, isn't going down very well.
Premier League's 'top clubs' reportedly discussing a euro 'super-league' breakaway, currently lie 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th & 11th in the table...
— Dan Roan (@danroan) March 2, 2016
Speaking to The Telegraph, West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan pointed out just how dangerous this move would be.
It would destroy football as we know it. It’s so sad that five clubs all owned by foreigners are even considering it. If the Premier League champions were not included, it would lose its gloss very quickly in the eyes of supporters.
It has been pointed out that this 'clandestine' meeting may merely be a ploy by the respective clubs to ensure the current Champions League is reformed to such an extent that clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea don't miss out on the riches of Europe's top competition simply because they weren't good enough to qualify.
One way or another, the top clubs are pushing to ensure that the rich stay rich and it would appear that it's going to take an awful lot to halt their progress.
