The European Super League (ESL) is a “disgraceful, self-serving” scheme and a “spit in the face of football lovers”, says UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
He also said that players playing for teams involved in the closed league would be “banned from the World Cup and Euros”.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are among 12 clubs that have agreed to join the proposed ESL.
UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden announced a fan-led review of football. Dowden said the review had been submitted and would offer a “root and branch” review of the sport, covering finance, governance and regulation. He said while football authorities were equipped to handle the proposed ESL breach, the UK governor would provide “full support”.
“Don’t be sure, if they can’t take action, we will,” Dowden added. “We will put everything on the table to prevent this from happening. We are exploring all options. We will simply review everything that the government is doing to support these clubs. “
Labor welcomed Dowden’s statement but said it “lacks detail and the urgency that this situation deserves”.
Ceferin, who has been UEFA president since 2016, has overseen an agreement on the newly-formed 36-team Champions League but made clear his contempt for the ESL project.
“We are all united against this nonsense of a project,” he said.
“I cannot emphasize more strongly how everyone is united against these disgraceful, self-serving proposals, fueled by greed above all else.
“[It is a] a cynical plan, completely against what football should be. We cannot and will not allow that to change.
“Players who play in the teams that could play in the closed league will be banned from the World Cup and Euros. We urge everyone to stand tall with us as we do everything we can to ensure this never comes to fruition.
“This idea is a spit in the face of everyone who loves football. We will not allow them to take it away from us. ”
The ESL will be a “new mid-week competition” with teams continuing to “compete in their respective national leagues”.
Following its announcement on Sunday, FIFA expressed its “disapproval” of the proposed competition and called on “all parties involved in vigorous negotiations to engage in calm, constructive and balanced dialogue for the benefit of the game”.
The football governing body of the world had previously said it would not recognize such competition and that any players involved could be denied the opportunity to play in the World Cup.
The 14 Premier League clubs that have not joined the ESL will meet on Tuesday to assess the proposals and consider a response.
On Monday, Ceferin reiterated that clubs and players involved with the ESL could be banned “as soon as possible” from all UEFA competitions.
“We are still assessing with our legal team but we will take all the sanctions we can and let you know as soon as we can,” he said.
“My view is that as soon as possible they must be excluded from all our competitions and the players from all our competitions.”
Ceferin was particularly critical of Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, who have both stepped down from their roles at UEFA.
Agnelli was also the long-time president of the European Club Association (ECA), from which all 12 clubs involved in the ESL have resigned.
“He is probably one of the biggest, or most disappointing,” said Ceferin.
“I don’t want to be too personal. But the truth is I’ve never seen a person who would lie so many times, so persistently that he made it unbelievable.
“I also spoke to him on Saturday afternoon. He said, ‘These are all just rumors. Don’t worry, nothing is happening ‘. And then he said, ‘I’ll call you in one hour’. And he turned off the phone. ”
On Woodward, Ceferin added: “I didn’t have much contact with him but he called me last Thursday evening saying he was very happy with the [Champions League] reforms, that he fully supports the reforms, and that he would only like to talk about financial fair play.
“And obviously he signed something else already.”
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, the sole manager of one of England’s ‘big six’ who joins the ESL to speak so far, said he “trusted the club to make the right decisions”.
“I’ve known since yesterday, but I’m here to be the toughest competition, that’s why I came here to play the toughest competitions,” he said.
“I am part of this club and I trust this club to make the right decisions. I think it’s too early to judge everything and it’s not my part. On my badge it says everyone has to play their role. My role is to train, concentrate, and we have another game tomorrow. ”
‘Grotesque concept’
Earlier on Monday, Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow said the ESL was a “grotesque concept” and went against everything that football stands for.
“These proposals do away with sporting merit,” Purslow told BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
“It would enable a small number of clubs to be in this competition to become what it can and, for millions of people in football, goes against everything that the sport means and standing for it.
“The idea is that the uncertainty that comes with sport, which makes it so compelling, that we all love, is actually damaging to the business models of these huge clubs.
“So, the scheme is designed to remove that uncertainty, to give their businesses predictability such as, if they are poorly managed or have a bad year, they are. ‘ n still in the main tournament.
“Does that sound like sport or football to you? To me it sounds like a grotesque concept. ”
Writing on Twitter, Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani said: “Totally against the sport spirit, millions of fans dream of conquering the champions on the pitch, with planning, vision, work. Kill the dreams of players and fans.