LONDON: Mikel Arteta said it is vital to look after fans as Premier League leaders Arsenal confirmed Friday they will not be involved in a revised European Super League (ESL) proposal.
The Gunners were among a group of twelve clubs, including 6 from the Premier League, who signed up to a breakaway league in 2021, though the project quickly collapsed.
On Thursday the European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA had broken European Union law by abusing its “dominant position” in European football to stifle the upstart league.
The firm promoting the Super League seized on the court victory to announce plans for a new 64-team event to compete with or replace UEFA’s flagship Champions League.
Arsenal’s relation to the European Super League
Arsenal released a statement on Friday saying their relation to the European Super League has not changed, becoming the latest Premier League club to distance themselves from the possibility of joining any new Super League.
It said that they will continue to play in UEFA events and continue to work with fellow European clubs and the European Club Association.
Arteta, whose team face Liverpool in a Premier League summit meeting on Saturday, reiterated the club’s stance at his pre-match media conference shortly afterwards.
He said that Football fans and the passion they bring to the game is the major reason why this game belongs to them and to the players as they are the absolute protagonists and what makes football so enjoyable.
He added that they have to look after them and their opinion is very, very important.
Only two clubs, Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are still publicly attached to the Super League project.
Arteta said he was unsure whether it would have a future.
He said that everybody would have their own opinion, and commitment now, in a year’s time, in 3 years’ time. Who knows how it is going to end up?
