Liverpool have broken their silence and are the final Premier League ‘Big Six’ side to reject participation in the newly proposed version of the European Super League.
A statement on the club’s official website, read: ‘Yesterday’s ruling by the European Court of Justice does not change Liverpool FC’s previous stance on a proposed European Super League.
‘Our involvement has been discontinued. We will continue to work with fellow clubs through the ECA and participate in UEFA competitions.’
Legal consent on the issue of joining new competitions has rested with the recognised supporters’ trust, the Spirit of Shankly (SoS), since the Reds’ withdrawal from the Super League two years ago.
In December 2021, the club announced they will set up a Supporters’ Board, to give fans a greater voice in how the club is run. A landslide 99 per cent voted in favour of the new structure.
Thursday’s landmark ruling at the European Court of Justice found UEFA and FIFA had acted against competition law in their blocking of the creation of a European Super League in 2021.
The masterminds behind the new league that wants to rival the Champions League and other UEFA and FIFA competitions subsequently unveiled new ambitious plans in the wake of the announcement, but were met with immediate rejections from top clubs.
Manchester United immediately rejected the proposals, as did Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham reiterated their loyalty to UEFA competitions later in the day. However, Barcelona and Real Madrid celebrated the announcement as they strive to make the European Super League a reality.
Liverpool were one of the Premier League teams to originally sign up to the ESL two-years ago, before following other English sides in withdrawing their support as fans fumed at the proposed plans.
The Liverpool supporters trust also released a statement on their official website that was titled ‘Not then, not now’ before going on to criticise the ambitions of the European Super League.
‘Liverpool fans have already said no to a Super League, in April 2021 when it was first announced. Nothing has changed,’ their statement read.
‘We believed then that such a move – a breakaway league for the ‘elite’ – went against the values and traditions of our club, and the city, and our position remains the same.
‘Back then we were listened to and John W Henry apologised to the fans and took responsibility for Liverpool’s involvement in the idea. In the aftermath, the Supporters Board was established and, written into the club’s articles of association, affirmed that such a decision cannot be taken again without the full consent of supporters,’ it added.
