No place for the sides currently in first and second in the EPL in a proposed European Super League. Only the elite coterie of super franchises are welcome.
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has said the mooted European Super League would be against the spirit of sport and represent a case of big-name clubs punishing smaller ones for their own failings.
Executives from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool held talks in London this week with Charlie Stillitano, the chairman of Relevant Sports, an American firm interested in exploring the idea of setting up a Europe-wide league reserved for the continent’s richest clubs.
Stillitano has indicated that such a league would not need to include the current Premier League leaders, Leicester City, nor other clubs currently above the ‘five aristocrats’.
Ranieri said that while a breakaway league might be in the financial interests of the big clubs, sports lovers would reject it.
“People must think what the fans want, not only about money,” added the Italian. “Because culture and the fans are more important than other things.”
Ranieri suggested that the nature of sport demands that rather than plot a breakaway when faced with stronger competition, traditional powers should reflect on how to rise to the new challenges.
“That’s sport,” he said. “I understand they want to do something but if something strange happens, don’t blame the little teams. They have to blame themselves. Maybe they have a good idea. But they should ask ‘why is a little team like Leicester doing better than us?’”
He’s not a guy who expresses himself, he’s only as good as the players around them and when they’re out of form or not bothering their hole he looks toothless and gutless. Like most of these little Spanish shits, he’s afraid of his own shadow when it comes to taking on responsibility. Clearly he has got talent but he just lack character and personality.
Shane Long is an infuriatingly dim footballer. Great chance there to square a ball and put Southampton 2 up but he tries to blast it in from a shit angle instead. And I don’t think it occurs to him ever that he needs to think a bit more about his game.