European Super League: Steve Parish brands proposals as ‘attempt to steal football’

Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish has branded the Premier League’s Big Six’s efforts to form a European Super League as an ‘attempt to steal football’. 

The controversial league was suspended on Tuesday night after Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all formally withdrew from the project.

The six clubs were part of 12 clubs, dubbed the Dirty Dozen, that agreed to join a breakaway tournament, announced on Sunday. 

Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish has branded the Premier League’s Big Six’s efforts to form a European Super League as an ‘attempt to steal football’

The proposals sparked outrage within the football world and Palace chief Parish insists the plan was an ‘attempted coup’.

‘In a way on Sunday when I got the call I was relieved because we’ve been living with this inside football for as long as I’ve been in football and people tell me even longer this constant threat that if we don’t toe the line, if we don’t accept this position in football needs to be gilded, needs to special that they will all go off and do this,’ he told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning.

‘Let’s face it this was an attempted coup, this was an attempt to steal football.

‘What happened was which was fascinating was that the fans, the players, the staff said we’re going to fight for the right to lose.

‘We don’t want to be in some kind of elite where there’s no jeopardy, no risk, that winning is nothing without all of that.

‘The best banner I saw was that we want out rainy, cold nights in Stoke. The miscalculation of this is quite spectacular.’

Man United, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all formally withdrew from the project following huge backlash from fans, players and managers. United owners the Glazers, Liverpool owner John W Henry and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke were key to proposals

Chelsea fans staged a mass protest outside Stamford Bridge before their match on Tuesday

Fans, players and managers of Premier League sides hit out at the formation of a European Super League, chaired by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, with the American owners of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal key to the project.

Chelsea fans staged a mass protest outside Stamford Bridge before their Premier League clash with Brighton on Tuesday night.

City and Chelsea began the process of killing off the rebel league less than 48 hours after its launch by pulling out late in the afternoon, putting huge pressure on the other 10 founder members to follow suit, as they held crisis talks over their exit strategies. 

Many supporters chose to sit in protest with a group singing: ‘If you love football, sit down’, a move that prevented the two team coaches from reaching the ground

Chelsea fans made their feelings clear as they gathered outside Stamford Bridge ahead of their match on Tuesday evening 

Homemade banners attacked the club for a decision that was taken without consultation of their own supporters  

‘Some of them still haven’t stood down and the reason behind that is that they still want to exert pressure on Mr Ceferin at UEFA,’ Parish continued.

‘Behind this last week they banked incredible games in the Champions League. This has got to be the end of special voting rights, people who sit next to Mr Ceferin on committees as clubs they shouldn’t be on. 

‘Of all of the privileges, the co-efficients that award them extra money based on  arbitrary history. 

‘What UEFA need to do is start looking after the game and stop pandering to these people and trying desperately to keep them inside the tent because they’re going to be inside the tent now whatever happens.

‘The Ajax’s and Warsaw’s shouldn’t be playing qualification tournaments in the summer when they won their league when an Arsenal or a Tottenham leapfrog an Aston Villa or a Leicester into the Champions League because it’s better to get those teams in for one year’s TV revenue.

‘This is a fantastic day for football but let’s not rest here and allow them to bank the games they’ve got before. 

‘As I said football fans want to win and they want to win fairly and want to win well. It’s been a fantastic two days for football. I hope we capitalise on it.’

Liverpool owner John W Henry apologised to their fans, Jurgen Klopp and the players on Wednesday morning.