Premier League giants Manchester City and Chelsea are reportedly preparing to withdraw from the proposed European Super League, according to the BBC and The Telegraph.
If Chelsea and Manchester City follow through, it would mark a crucial blow to the Super League’s chances with other clubs expected to follow.
Fans protested outside of Stamford Bridge on Tuesday before Chelsea’s Premier League home match against Brighton. The Guardian reported earlier on Tuesday that Chelsea, along with Manchester City, were some of the last clubs to join the Super League out of fear of missing out on potential revenue streams rather than being part of the Super League’s core creators.
The backlash to the Super League has only continued to snowball after Sunday’s announcement that 12 of the biggest clubs in England, Spain and Italy pledged to join an exclusive competition that would sidestep the UEFA Champions League.
The original clubs included Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham from England; Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid from Spain; and Juventus, AC Milan and Inter from Italy. While opening five spots for yearly qualification, the Super League also announced its intentions to add three more founding members.
UEFA has previously threatened to ban players and clubs from forthcoming competitions, which includes Champions League, Europa League and, on an international level, this summer’s European championships.
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