Reaction to England's six clubs leaving Super League

[Photo: Courtesy]

The six English Premier League clubs, who signed up for the Super League, withdrew on Tuesday amid a storm of protests from fans, players, managers and governments, alongside threats of bans and sanctions from the game’s European and world governing bodies UEFA and Fifa.

Here are some reactions to the dramatic U-turns of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON:

“I welcome last night’s announcement. This is the right result for football fans, clubs, and communities across the country. We must continue to protect our cherished national game.”

ENGLAND’S FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

“We welcome the news that some of the clubs have decided to abandon plans for the European Super League, which threatened the whole football pyramid.”

“English football has a proud history of opportunity for all clubs and the game has been unanimous in its disapproval of a closed league. It was a position that, by design, could have divided our game, but instead, it has unified us all.”

FORMER MANCHESTER UNITED DEFENDER GARY NEVILLE

“The (owners) Glazers have no place in Manchester anymore. We have to work hard together to ensure that ownership rules in this country are changed. The people have spoken. We were on the brink of anarchy if this continued.”

LIVERPOOL GREAT GRAEME SOUNESS

“The supporters will not forgive the people who decided to go for this idea ... They’ve been shown to be people that would take quick money. They would sell their soul basically.”

“They were going to sell the souls of our major football institutions. I don’t know how these clubs will manage to get back onside.”

FORMER MANCHESTER UNITED CAPTAIN RIO FERDINAND

“Teams finally seeing sense and pulling out of the #SuperLeague...Football is and ALWAYS will be about the Fans. The fans have obviously not been a consideration at all ... disgrace.”

MANCHESTER UNITED CAPTAIN HARRY MAGUIRE

“Let’s all stay UNITED”

FORMER LIVERPOOL DEFENDER JAMIE CARRAGHER

“Super League is finished! Well done to all fans up & down the country!”

MANCHESTER CITY DEFENDER BENJAMIN MENDY

“What a beautiful day for football. Let’s keep playing, let’s keep fighting, let’s keep dreaming.”

FORMER MANCHESTER CITY DEFENDER MICAH RICHARDS

“Better late than never.”

FORMER ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER

“I’m not surprised it didn’t last long. I never believed from the start it would happen. It ignored the basic principles of sporting merit. If you ignore that you kill the domestic leagues, fans would never accept that. Rightly so.”

FORMER LIVERPOOL DEFENDER STEPHEN WARNOCK

“The owners need to come out and say, ‘we got this competition wrong. We apologise - we’re begging you for forgiveness’. It won’t surprise me if certain clubs went up for sale now because of the pressure they’ll come under.”

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION MIDFIELDER ADAM LALLANA

“What has been shown is that together we are stronger than anything. It is great to see everyone coming together as one.”

FORMER ARSENAL FORWARD IAN WRIGHT

“Remember who you are, what you are and who you represent.”

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