Everton have issued a strong statement condeming the proposed European superleague and pledging that they will continue to oppose it.
Unsurprisingly Everton have come out strongly against the breakaway plans of the clubs involved, which includes six English clubs.
The statement from the club’s Board of Directors calls in the strongest terms for an end to the proposed plans from the Premier League sides involved.
In it they accuse these clubs of selfish actions that have jepordised the game and of disrespecting all the other Premier League teams. Strong stuff indeed.
It’s a fairly predictiable response although a little stronger than I expected. There is a little bit of pompusnous about it to be honest and I do wonder though whether had Everton been included in this group if the club would have still taken this stance. Well we’ll never know the answer to that question will we?
There is also a direct financial dimension to this for the Blues. Farhad Moshiri has put a lot of money into the club, has brought in a very high-profile and espensive manager in Carlo Ancelotti and has helped finance the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
This will also throw alot of potential transfer dealings into jepardy. All this is partly dependent on Everton securing Champions League football.
If that competition is lacking all the traditional big guns away playing in their own little league, then whether we like it or not that will devalue the existing tournaments financially.
Anyway, I think that although these clubs seeking to breakaway will have expected a hostile reception to their plans, I’m not sure they will have anticpated it being as vitriollic as it has been.
The condemnation has been almost universal with even players from some of these clubs involved, publically objecting to the move.
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Having said though in one sense this is perhaps exactly what they want, a lot of wind and emotional reaction, which they hope will then rise and die down quickly as people come to accept this new reality. We will see if that’s actually what happens.
Everton are now one of the leading and senior clubs left in the Premier League along with others like Aston Villa, also founding members of the original Football League back in 1888. Such far off and innocent days.
Both clubs have won many trophies down the years and between them have claimed seventeen championships, fifteen more than ‘superclub’ Spurs for example.
Villa, along with another midlands club not part of this self-appointed elite, Nottingham Forest, have also won the European Cup something Tottenham of course haven’t done.
Well however this plays out it may now fall to clubs like the Toffees and Villians to help steer the remaining Premier League teams forward in this hugely uncertain and complicated situation.