Aniket Rai
Manchester United join eight other clubs to become ECA member after European Super League failure
According to a statement (h/t Manchester Evening News) released by the ECA [European Club Association], Manchester United have re-joined the independent body after the European Super League failed to materialize.
ECA is an independent organization that represents European football clubs. United, along with several other clubs including five teams from the Premier League, left ECA in April 2021 to form the breakaway European Super League.
It’s safe to say that the ESL was a massive flop, with fans of English clubs making it known that they were against such a venture. United fans, in particular, took things into their own hands with a massive display of discontent in May.
They stormed Old Trafford and ensured that the derby game against Liverpool was postponed. Fans of other clubs demonstrated their discontent as well, leading the five English teams, and 4 other European teams, to abandon the Super League.
United learn their lesson
And now, United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan have rejoined the ECA. An excerpt from the statement from the European body read:
“In its decision, and after an exhaustive process of re-engagement by the Clubs and re-assessment by ECA over recent months, the ECA Executive Board took into consideration the Clubs’ acknowledgement that the so-called European Super League project (“ESL Project”) was not in the interests of the wider football community and their publicly communicated decisions to abandon said ESL Project completely.”
Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus, meanwhile, stay committed in their efforts to form this breakaway league. Florentino Perez, the president of Los Blancos, has gone down the legal route to re-ignite the ESL project. (h/t MEN)
More Manchester United News:
- Manchester United hold talks for the signing of Barcelona prodigy Ilaix Moriba
- Transfer News: Manchester United tracking Metz sensation Pape Matar Sarr
- Liverpool could be without Brazilian trio for Manchester United clash
But for United fans, and the supporters across Europe, this comes as positive news. While capitalism is something we can’t really escape in this world anymore, it was good to see fans uniting earlier this year to shoot down anything that crossed the thin line which separates club owners’ money-making wants and outright avarice.
