European Super League English

PSG chairman aims dig at Liverpool in ‘fabulists and failures’ speech

PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi has aimed a classy dig at Liverpool and the other 11 clubs involved in the failed European Super League project.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were the other five English sides that joined the Reds in backing the controversial proposal, along with AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

All six of the Premier League sides withdrew within 72 hours of the ESL announcement, with AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Inter also opting out.

Those involved in the project also left the European Clubs’ Association (ECA), the body that represents the professional interest of European clubs, but have since been readmitted.

Al-Khelaifi was appointed as new chairman of the ECA in April and wasted little time to aim a dig at the breakaway clubs during his first major speech in his role.

“I will not spend much time talking about 18 April and the ‘not-so-Super League’ because I do not like to focus on fabulists and failures,” said Al-Khelaifi at a conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid have vowed to carry on plans for a Super League and are the only three sides to not be welcomed back to the ECA.

Al-Khelaifi was quick to dismiss their ideas, however, and claimed that the rest of the footballing world are ‘moving forward’ without them.

He said: “Together we defended the interests of European football for everyone. We relied on the resolve and strength of [Uefa] president [Aleksander Ceferin], who stood up to the midnight coup. He said ‘we will win’ and we did.

“While the three rebel clubs waste energies, twist narratives and continue to shout at the sky, the rest of us are moving forward.”

PSG, along with the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, were not involved in plans to join the ESL.

Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli stepped down from his role as chairman of the ECA due to the involvement of the Italian side in the Super League plans, enabling the PSG chairman to take up a new challenge.