UEFA are expected to expel Manchester City and Chelsea from the Champions League and Manchester United and Arsenal from the Europa League, according to an executive committee member.
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Following the announcement that 12 European clubs intend to set up a breakaway ‘Super League’ to challenge the Champions League as soon as they can, UEFA has been left raging and will discuss their options at an Executive Committee meeting, which could be held in the next 24 hours.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin responded furiously as European soccer’s governing body confirmed they are looking into their options to stop those clubs playing in European competitions with immediate effect and players for those Super League clubs will not be allowed to play for their national teams.
Danish FA chairman Jesper Moller then told Danish outlet DR Sport the following.
“[Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea] are going out, and I expect that to happen on Friday. And then you have to see how to finish the Champions League,” Moller said. “There must be one extraordinary executive committee meeting on Friday. I have an expectation that the 12 clubs will be thrown out.”
What happens now?
There is a very uncertain future in current UEFA competitions for the 12 clubs who signed up for the European Super League (AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur).
Of those 12, five have reached the semifinals of UEFA’s marquee competitions for this season.
Chelsea are due to play Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, but both teams could be expelled. Manchester City are set to face Paris Saint-Germain, with the latter not signing up to join the Super League, yet.
As for the UEFA Europa League, Arsenal face Villarreal and Manchester United face Roma in the semifinals and both English clubs could be kicked out with a Villarreal v. Roma final.
Do these clubs want to play in Europe?
At this point, what have those teams who have signed up for the Super League got to play for? They want to move on to the Super League ASAP, so why do they need to play in UEFA competitions?
The integrity of this competition is in tatters and the clubs involved have made it this way.
Arsenal have been toiling all season long in the Europa League to try and win it and qualify for the Champions League. For what? For Manchester City, winning the Champions League is their holy grail. What now?
It remains to be seen if the teams they beat in the quarterfinals (if eligible) will replace them in the semifinals, and what action UEFA takes. But there is a real possibility that UEFA could kick out the rebels this week.
Boy, has this escalated quickly.
