Super League collapses as English clubs withdraw on wild day of U-turns

The Super League has crumbled as quickly as it arose.

Amid a furious backlash, all six English clubs decided to leave the ESL just days after revealing their intention to join the competition.

Manchester City led the way Tuesday, announcing they “formally enacted the procedures” to withdraw hours before Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea made their exits official.

Arsenal are the only club thus far to offer an official apology to their fans.

AC Milan are also pulling out of the breakaway venture, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein. Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are believed to be out, as well, according to The Times’ Matt Lawton, though there are conflicting reports about the Spanish teams’ stance.

In the wake of the mass exodus, the Super League said it would “reconsider” the project.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said he regrets “the anxiety and upset caused by the ESL proposal” but felt “it was important that our club participated in the development of a possible new structure that sought to better ensure financial fair play and financial sustainability.”

Real Madrid, Juventus, and Inter Milan would be the only remaining founding members of the Super League. It’s unclear if they will also withdraw, though it now seems inevitable.

Amid the chaos of the apparently failed tournament, beleaguered Manchester United executive Ed Woodward reportedly resigned.

“I am delighted to welcome City back to the European football family,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, who earlier in the day encouraged the teams to admit their mistake and change course. “They have shown great intelligence in listening to the many voices – most notably their fans – that have spelled out the vital benefits that the current system has for the whole of European football.”

Response to the Super League has been scathing since plans were announced on Sunday, with fans, players, coaches, national governments, and, of course, the sport’s governing bodies condemning the idea of a closed event. UEFA blasted the so-called “dirty dozen,” threatening sanctions, including banning players from the World Cup.

Over 1,000 fans gathered outside Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to protest the proposed league, which was met with widespread derision when 12 of the continent’s richest teams pledged to band together.

Less than two hours after the protests began, reports started filtering in that the Blues were pulling out of the competition.

Europe’s biggest sides engineered the planned 20-team event to guarantee a consistent and massive revenue stream. The 12 founding members had agreed to share an initial pot worth €3.5 billion.

The Super League was viewed as a Champions League replacement, with teams hoping to continue competing in domestic competitions. But the concept of a closed league, in which 15 clubs would be permanent members, was lambasted.

Fans protested in the streets, players and managers spoke out, and, ultimately, it appears that was enough to derail a plan that top clubs have long held over UEFA as leverage.

Bayern Munich flatly rejected the idea, while Paris Saint-Germain refused to offer support.

“It’s not a sport when the relation between effort and reward doesn’t exist,” Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Tuesday, echoing one of the most prominent complaints about the idea.