Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will pay a combined total of £22m between them in fines, after the Premier League confirmed on Wednesday that it was sanctioning them for parts played in the attempted money driven breakaway league, which threatened to alter the dynamics of football forever.
The sum, albeit relatively small, is actually higher than UEFA’s fine for the same reasons earlier this year, but still falls short of any of the above mentioned clubs’ annual player wage bill on the average.
However, a heavier fine of £25m each, along with a 30-point deduction have been agreed between the Premier League and the clubs, should any such offences be repeated in the future.
Organizers of the strictly invitational league had made plans to enable member clubs continue participating in their domestic leagues despite their involvement in the new competition, prompting the Premier League to announce a proposed change in the competition’s rules that will completely rule out the possibility of any future breakaways.
And despite the FA and Premier League defending the £22m fine as “a gesture of goodwill” from the clubs involved, the leniency of the punishment will be regarded by many as solid proof of how dependent the league is on the so called big six for its all round success.
All “founder” ESL clubs were set to earn a whooping £250m, which would have been sourced from American investment bank JP Morgan, just for agreeing to be part of the project. This further suggests the whole idea was money-driven, especially considering how desperately these clubs have had to suffer in terms of revenue generation, in the middle of a global pandemic.
The Premier League and the UK government have confirmed in a joint statement that all of the £22m fine “will go towards the good of the game,” with plans underway for “new investment in support for fans” as well as for the funding of community project to support the game from the grassroots level.
“The six clubs involved in proposals to form a European Super League have today acknowledged once again that their actions were a mistake, and have reconfirmed their commitment to the Premier League and the future of the English game,” read the statement.
“They have wholeheartedly apologized to their fans, fellow clubs, the Premier League and the FA.
“The Premier League and the FA have worked closely together throughout this process and this agreement brings both investigations into the matter to a conclusion.”
The fines will reportedly be settled from each club’s owners’ personal accounts, and not the clubs’.
The non Premier League clubs involved, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, who have all so far been adamant about giving up on plans for the breakaway league, are set to face the wrath of UEFA’s disciplinary process.
