Twelve clubs, including six from the Premier League, have stated their intention to create a breakaway franchise which has been met with strong opposition from fans, football associations and European leagues. They have been warned by Uefa that severe action would be taken against them if they proceed with their plans, which could include being barred from all domestic and European competitions, as well as players banned from representing their countries in international competitions.
And Jerseyman Vincenti, who sits on the players board at the Professional Footballers’ Association, believes the project could be damaging for the sport.
‘It just doesn’t feel right that you’ve got such elitism in the sport where these big clubs can go to their own competition, be founder members and compete in a league which doesn’t really engage in the spirit of competition,’ said Vincenti, who returned to the Island last year after spending 13 years as a professional with clubs including Coventry, Rochdale and Millwall.
‘I think it would be very damaging for the sport. Just as other things have happened in the past that hasn’t felt right and it needs to be stopped like when Sky Sports were going to charge people £15 to watch the games. That wasn’t right during the pandemic.
‘You’ve got these players in the top leagues earning £300,000-£400,000 a week and the clubs have to look at how they fund that. Now it looks as though they’re creating this Super League in order to fund these players’ wages. It seems very detached from the vast majority of the fans who are watching and I think that’s evident with their reaction. I’ve not seen many, if any, people supporting it.’
In a statement, the PFA said the ‘proposed move would detract from the strength and joy of domestic football and diminish the game for the vast majority of fans across the continent’, a sentiment that Vincenti shares.
‘The Premier League was formed in 1992 and it created one of the most exciting leagues in the world,’ he added. ‘Now it seems all these clubs want to step away from it and go into the Super League. But they’re always going to then get to the point where they’ll be thinking “what’s next, where can we get more money from?” and the fans are the ones losing out.
