With the European Super League now announced, 12 European clubs are set to break away from the Champions League to create an exclusive competition that is set to run parallel with the domestic League tournaments.
Here at Anytime Football, we look at the reactions from the top Premier League managers whose clubs have joined forces to create the Super League.
Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)
The German manager has revealed but he wants to compete at the highest level and in the hardest competitions. He also added that he wants to play in these club competitions and he trusts the club to make the right decisions.
Tuchel believes that it is too early to charge everything and he will focus on his role as a coach and prepare for the upcoming Chelsea games.
“I know it since yesterday but I’m here to be in the hardest competition,” he said. “That’s what I love, to play the toughest competitions in Europe. That’s why I’m at Chelsea.
“I don’t get involved with all these subjects around us, I’m a bit sad all these subjects are around now.
“I want to play these club competitions, I trust the club to make the right decisions and it’s too early to judge everything and it’s not my part. On my badge from Chelsea, it says I have to play my role.
“My role is to be coach, to be focused and we have an important game coming up tomorrow.”
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
The Arsenal manager has urged all parties to come together and find a solution that defends the interests of everyone. He wants the involved authorities to try and find the right solution.
He said: “It’s like a new format is coming every three or four days.
“There will be more coming out very soon. Again I ask for some unity here, defend the interests of everybody like has been the case in the UK.
“That’s what has made this league so unique – if things have to evolve in one way or another let’s try to do it and find the right solution.”
Jose Mourinho (Tottenham)
The Portuguese manager was relieved of his duties at Tottenham Hotspur earlier today but when he was quizzed about the European Super League earlier he refused to give his opinion on the matter. He claimed that the question should be directed to the club chairman Daniel Levy.
“I leave it for Mr Levy,” Mourinho said.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United)
The Norwegian revealed that it is not for him to comment on the matter and he’s just waiting to see how the situation unfolds.
“I am dealing with the news this afternoon, the speculation,” Solskjaer said. “I don’t think it is for me to comment on now. We just have to wait and see what happens.
“As I have said, I have seen the speculation or news this afternoon. I can’t comment.
“It is an issue for the clubs to comment on.”
Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
The Manchester City manager has revealed that the focus should be on making every single European League better without having to sacrifice the lower divisions or the Premier League itself. The Spaniard has also urged the authorities to choose quality over quantity.
“I have the feeling we cannot lose the local leagues, what it means for the FA Cup, the leagues,” he said.
“What we should do is make every single league in Europe stronger than what it is, less teams, better championships, better League One, better League Two, better Premier League with less teams in every competition. Go to the quality over quantity.
“To make a super Premier League, you have to reduce the teams, but we cannot kill the lower divisions or the Premier League itself.”
If you ask me, (why) these teams have been selected, I don’t know the reason why!
It is not a sport where the relation between the effort and the success, or the effort and the reward, does not exist. It is not a sport where success is already guaranteed, it is not a sport when it doesn’t matter where you lose.
I want the best competition, the strongest competition possible, especially the Premier League. It is not fair when one team fights, fights, fights, arrives at the top and cannot be qualified because the success is already guaranteed just for a few teams.
Pep Guardiola
Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
The Liverpool manager was asked to share his opinion prior to the game against Leeds United earlier today and the German revealed that he had no idea of the European Super League before yesterday and he wasn’t even consulted by the club hierarchy regarding Liverpool’s participation.
He also implied that he is not in favour of the idea and he understands the anger that has been directed towards the clubs who are participating in the competition.
Klopp said: “I didn’t change (my opinion). I heard for the first time about it yesterday. We got some, not a lot of information. It’s a tough one, people are not happy, I can understand that. We are not involved in any process, not me or the players.”
Klopp to BBC: “I’ve the same opinion about #SuperLeague. It’s a tough one, people aren’t happy and I’m not involved. #LFC is more than some decisions. My aim has always been to be part of the Champions League. I like the idea that West Ham can play in the UCL”.
