Welsh FIFA council candidate slams ‘selfish, cynical and greedy’ Super League plan

A Welsh FIFA Council candidate has slammed plans to create a European Super League as “selfish, cynical and greedy”.

Laura McAllister, who has been nominated by the FAW for the position of UEFA’s designated female representative on the council, believes “football faces an existential crisis” because of the breakaway move by some of the world’s biggest clubs.

Premier League clubs Manchester United Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have signed up to the plans for the competition that will rival the Champions League.

Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have also agreed to join, as well as Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan from Italy.

No German or French clubs have yet to be associated with the breakaway, and there are reports that Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich declined to participate.

The Super League said that they aimed to have 15 founding members, who can’t be relegated, and a 20-team league with five other clubs qualifying each season.

McAllister told the BBC: “I’m against it for a couple of reasons. I think it goes against the values of football, which of course are based on solidarity and progressing as a family together.

“It’s a very selfish, cynical and greedy move by a very small number of clubs worldwide which will undermine a lot of football as we know it.

“It will affect ways in which the member associations like the FAW here in Wales or the English FA and how they fund grassroots community football, coach education and so on.

“It is a hammer blow to the very existence of football as we know it. I think this is a moment where football faces an existential crisis.

“I’m fully behind the UEFA statement that came out yesterday that explained why enough is enough and why we have to protect some of the values of the game.”

‘Disgraceful’ 

UEFA president Aleksandr Ceferin branded plans for a breakaway European Super League as “disgraceful”

The head of the European governing body was speaking at a media briefing after UEFA Executive Committee meeting yesterday.

When he would stop any players from competing in this summer’s European Championships, Ceferin said: “We’re still assessing the situation with our legal team. It’s a bit too early.

“We will take all the sanctions that we can and we will inform you as soon as we have a clear answer. My opinion is that, as soon as possible, the players have to be banned from all our competitions.”

He added: “I cannot stress more strongly UEFA and the footballing world are united against the disgraceful, self-serving proposals we have seen, fuelled purely by greed.

“It’s a nonsense of a project. This idea is a spit in the face for all footballer lovers and our society. We will not allow them to take this away from us.”

The list of Welsh players that could be impacted by a ban on playing international football include:

• Gareth Bale – Tottenham Hotspur
• Joe Rodon – Tottenham Hotspur
• Ben Davies – Tottenham Hotspur
• Neco Williams – Liverpool
• Daniel James – Manchester United
• Aaron Ramsey – Juventus
• Ben Woodburn – Liverpool
• Ethan Ampadu – Sheffield United (on loan from Chelsea)