Although the collapse of the European Super League is being held up as a triumph of football’s masses, there remains a pervading sense those behind the plot have merely retreated, and will continue to push for European reform.
The Times’ Henry Winter believes the owners of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in particular may continue push the case, despite their contrition in the wake of last week’s global outrage.
“I think they’ve [those opposed] won the battle but they’ve not won the war, because anyone who’s come into the proximity of a Joel Glazer, John W Henry or a Stan Kroenke knows that these aren’t benefactors, they’re here as investors, they’re here to make money”, Winter told Box2Box.
“They’re from the US and as we know, they’re involved in sports franchises over there which don’t believe in promotion and relegation, they don’t like the idea of sporting jeopardy.”
“We can think they’re arrogant, we can think they’re greedy, which they are, but these are intelligent individuals. What I find extraordinary is that they didn’t read the room; they didn’t think ‘actually this isn’t going to go down well’.
While many have called for punishment of the of the so-called ‘dirty dozen’ clubs, particularly the six Premier League sides, Winter felt this would be a difficult thing to execute effectively.
“I don’t see what sanctions they can really give them. People are talking about points deductions, but who are you punishing there? You’re punishing the people who have actually formed the resistance movement, i.e. the supporters, players and the managers who stood up.”