LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st April, 2021) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed on Wednesday the decision made by the top six Premier League teams to pull out of the proposed European Super League following angry protests from fans and threats from the government to use legal measures to prevent the English soccer clubs from joining the breakaway project.
"I welcome last night's announcement. This is the right result for football fans, clubs, and communities across the country. We must continue to protect our cherished national game," Johnson wrote on Tweeter.
On Tuesday evening, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United announced their exit from the controversial competition which would see them taking part in an elite tournament alongside Spain's Atletico de Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid and Italy's AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus.
The new Super League would also include another three clubs, yet to be announced, as founder members and another 5 teams qualified for the tournament every year in accordance with their achievements in the prior season.
According to the official statement, the Super League will help clubs overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it showed the importance of "a strategic vision and a sustainable commercial approach" to maintain the European football system.
The announcement, however, was met with widespread criticism not only from the FIFA and UEFA leaderships, as well as the national football associations of European states, but also from political leaders such as Johnson.
