"FIFA can only express its disapproval to a ‘closed European breakaway league’ outside of the international football structures and not respecting the aforementioned principles," FIFA said, adding that it is calling "on all parties involved in heated discussions to engage in calm, constructive and balanced dialogue for the good of the game."
ECA said in a Sunday statement that its executive board was prepared to meet in the coming days to discuss the new developments.
"In light of today’s reports on the subject of a so-called breakaway league, ECA as the body representing 246 leading clubs across Europe, reiterates its stated commitment to working on developing the UEFA Club Competitions (UCCs) model with UEFA for the cycle beginning 2024 and that a ‘closed super league model’ to which media articles refer would be strongly opposed by ECA," the association said.
Earlier on Sunday, twelve top European soccer clubs, including all of the Premier League's "Big Six," announced that they were going to create the "Super League" that would be separate to UEFA's Champions and Europa Leagues.
OFFICIAL: 12 teams have confirmed they will be part of the new European Super League:
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) April 18, 2021
🏴 Arsenal
🏴 Chelsea
🏴 Liverpool
🏴 Man City
🏴 Man Utd
🏴 Tottenham
🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇮🇹 AC Milan
🇮🇹 Inter
🇮🇹 Juventus pic.twitter.com/54RRW9fdnw
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said in a statement that it was a "cynical project" and that the English (FA), Spanish (RFEF) and Italian (FIGC) associations were all against it.
"We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way," the official statement said.
UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned the developments as "very dangerous plans" in a Sunday tweet.
The clubs involved must answer to their fans and the wider footballing community before taking any further steps. (2/2)
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 18, 2021
Piers Morgan tweeted he was "shocked & stunned by this new Super League of the ‘biggest & best’ teams in Europe", adding, "How the hell have Arsenal managed to blag our way in?"
What's more, soccer fans took to social media to slam the decision of their favorite clubs as the example of "the rich getting rich"б devaluing domestic clubs and limiting the games to only the biggest clubs owned by billionaires.
Whether or not a European Super League comes to fruition, nobody should forget this moment. A handful of obscenely rich men have plotted behind closed doors to upturn the competitive balance, history and heritage of European football overnight. The arrogance of it is staggering. https://t.co/3n3JdiXB8i
— Will Magee (@W_F_Magee) April 18, 2021
The not-so-Super League ! The elite ring fencing themselves. Rich get richer , domestic leagues get devalued , and we get bored stiff watching the same alleged glamour clubs playing each other. Cynical and greedy insult to fans.
— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) April 18, 2021
The European Super League perfectly portrays the saying "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." pic.twitter.com/GwehUKkUtc
— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) April 19, 2021
this football super league news has depressed me, spent my life watching football just for a bunch of rich men to ruin it for personal greed.
— Alex Elmslie (@ImAllexx) April 18, 2021
