(Reuters) – There should be consequences for the six English teams who sought to join the breakaway European Super League, former Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore said.
Scudamore added he does not understand why any of clubs — Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur — thought the Super League “was a good idea”.
“I don’t believe life will ever be the same after last Sunday,” Scudamore told Gary Neville’s The Overlap show on YouTube yesterday.
“I think the actions of the six have altered the dynamic forever. There has to be some consequences. Things have to change.
“I think something will have to be extracted by way of undertakings or attitude. I am not going to get involved about whether there should be punishments or sanctions.”
The six clubs were among 12 founding members of the Super League along with three teams each from Spain and Italy.
The new competition was unveiled on April 18 and the founding members had said it would increase revenues to the top clubs and allow them to distribute more money to the rest of the game.
However, the sport’s governing bodies, other teams and fan organisations criticised the venture, arguing it would have increased the power and wealth of the elite clubs as they had guaranteed themselves a place in the new competition every year.
Within 48 hours of league being announced, the English sides withdrew due to the fierce backlash they received from fans, their own players, politicians and the 14 other Premier League clubs.
Scudamore, who ran the Premier League from 1999 until his retirement in 2018, added he was always been against the idea of a Super League, which has long been mooted in European football.
“I am the person who had been telling them for years it was a crazy idea and could not happen. There is no switch you can turn (on) that suddenly builds back trust with these people (club owners) and the fan base. It is a long and difficult road back.”
