‘It is not about fair play’: The Super League stories you may have missed

The Super League proposals may be buried – for now – but but they remain the talk of football at the end of one of the more bizarre weeks for the game.

Friday’s press conferences were a the first opportunity for most Premier League managers to speak openly about the fiasco, and several took the opportunity to speak their mind, while fans continued to pressure the owners of their clubs to some out and sell up.

Here are some of the key stories you may have missed.

David Moyes joined the chorus of disdain towards the failed breakaway European Super League and called for a unified British competition instead.

In the week in which England’s ‘big six’ clubs were forced into a humiliating U-turn after agreeing to join the new tournament, reports once again surfaced that Scotland’s ‘big two’, Rangers and Celtic, could end up south of the border.

West Ham boss Moyes would take things further, calling for a second Premier League and a pathway for more Scottish clubs to join.

The Scot, who said he was “really disappointed” with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham for their involvement in the ill-fated ESL, added: “I think reform is needed.

“Change is needed in some way. I think the Premier League has a brilliant product, I really do, but at the top clubs you’re talking about too many games, so could we have Premier League I and Premier League II?

“Could we have a situation where we do invite Rangers and Celtic to Premier League II? Why can we not unite the UK? Why do we have to be England and Scotland and not unite it?

“Why can it not be a pyramid that allows teams in the Scottish leagues to get into Premier League II? In fact, I think actually more money would filter down if Rangers and Celtic could be given an opportunity to come in.

“Why can we not unite the UK? We are in Brexit now, we have our country, so why not? Rangers and Celtic would only enhance what is happening in England.

“Why not try and make what we have got something new and maybe take a few less teams, maybe two out of the Premier League and put in Premier League II, and we have a few extra weeks.

“The big clubs have got such a big programme, and I can only see with the new programmes them getting so many more games, and it is getting too tough to play too many games.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expects the Super League debacle will mean his side face a backlash from fans when grounds reopen to the public.

The Reds are part of the ‘Big Six’ who wanted to join the breakaway European competition before its spectacular collapse 48 hours after its launch.

Klopp and his players bore the brunt of supporters’ anger prior to their match against Leeds on Monday – when the project was still alive – with a large group with banners gathering outside Elland Road to greet the team coach with “greedy” chants.

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Despite Klopp pointing out he and his players had nothing to do with the talks and, in fact, came out to a man in opposition, he fears they will continue to be targeted.

“I don’t worry about that, I know it will be like this. Of course, football fans are like this,” he said. “It is probably not only for Liverpool, but for us I am sure. It is not about fair play in these moments.

“I am pretty sure the supporters of Leeds who were showing up at the stadium and running after us knew as well that we were not involved in it but they didn’t care.

“They just wanted to tell us what they told us. Yes it will be even worse when people are back in the stadiums.”

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has called on the club’s board to resign, saying their actions had “shamed and humiliated the club” and the relationship with fans is “irreparably broken”.

In a vote on Friday evening, 90 per cent of the trust’s membership voted in favour of a motion calling for Spurs’ executive board to go, and for the ownership to work with the trust to elect a new board including fan membership.

In a lengthy statement, the trust said the current board had worked against the club’s own interests in signing up to the doomed European Super League project.

The statement said: “The consequences of their decision to attempt to launch this breakaway league could now lead to substantial penalties against Spurs - points deductions, suspension from competition, financial penalties, other sanctions.

“They signed up to this plan knowing they risked all that, and knowing they risked their players being banned from international competition.

“The responsibility of the club’s board is to always act in the best interests of THFC. The current board clearly has not acted in the best interests of the football club. In fact, its action could still lead to outcomes that are in the worst interests of THFC.

“We think their relationship with us is irreparably broken. And we think their continued presence risks punitive action being taken against the club.”

Chelsea told their supporters on Friday that the club regretted joining the short-lived Super League project that collapsed within 48 hours of being announced, while Tottenham Hotspur fans called on their club’s board to resign immediately.

Twelve teams from England, Spain and Italy, announced days ago the creation of their own European competition, much to the incredulity of fans and leagues across the continent.

But following a storm of protests and threats of sanctions from the game’s European and world governing bodies, the Super League said it would “reconsider” its next steps after it was reduced to only a few teams from Spain and Italy.

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“As a club, we are committed to an open and regular dialogue with our fans and other stakeholders, but, on this occasion, regrettably, due to time constraints and confidentiality restraints, this was not achieved,” Chelsea said in a letter to fans.

The west London club was one of six Premier League teams to sign up to the failed project. No teams from France or Germany joined.

Unlike Europe’s elite Champions League competition, where teams have to qualify through their domestic league, the Super League would have guaranteed the founders a place every year.

“We also recognise the sentiment that had been expressed about whether the ESL (Super League) relied strongly enough on sporting merit,” Chelsea said.

Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson praised the fans for making their voices heard to protest against the club's involvement in the Super League and thanked them for putting pressure on the hierarchy to withdraw their support for the competition.

Twelve top European clubs from England, Spain and Italy were involved in the proposal which collapsed on Wednesday after most of the founding members withdrew their support following intense criticism from fans, governing bodies and the government.

Liverpool's players had also voiced their opposition to the breakaway league earlier this week before the club's owner John Henry apologised for the "disruption" the decision caused.

"If there is a positive to come from this situation it is that the power of supporters has been recognised in all its glory. Stopping the proposal was your victory – you showed you cannot and must not be ignored," Henderson said.

"Trust me when I tell you that message has been received loud and clear at our club and there is an acknowledgement we have to work as hard as we ever have done to earn your trust again.

"... thank you to our supporters, for being there for us and being there for football when we needed it most. Your voice was loud, uncompromising and it was heard."