With reference to yesterday's post, I must admit I anticipated a more drawn-out struggle between the organisers of the American-style breakaway and the representatives of football organisations in Europe. However, the withdrawal of all the English teams, half the proposed roster, has killed the Super League.
Media commentators are already praising fan power, and no doubt Johnson's spin-doctors will ascribe the uey to government ministers' threat to legislate. (There is in many people's opinion still a need to legislate in this area in view of the many scandals in English football since big money entered the picture.) However, I believe the decisive factor was manager power. If there is one commodity more precious than star players in European football today, it is star management. Manchester City's Guardiola has publicly criticised the lack of sporting competition implicit in the Super League scheme; Liverpool's Klopp is known to be unhappy about it; and Chelsea's Tuchel with his roots in Germany, where there is a regime of clubs being directed by fans rather than money-men, may be assumed to feel likewise. These are three of the top ten managers in Europe, and would be difficult to replace.
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