Exclusive: Premier League to hit rebel clubs with big fines over Super League breakaway plot
The six English Super League rebels will be fined substantially by the Premier League over their attempts to break away to join last month’s failed closed-shop European competition, despite relatively lenient financial measures imposed by Uefa.
Telegraph Sport understands Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will face much tougher sanctions from the Premier League having received Uefa fines totalling around £7million each for their part in the short-lived European Super League.
The Premier League fines will be significant, in order for them to have an effect on the league’s six wealthiest clubs and to make clear the seriousness with which the other 14 shareholders and executive regard the offences. Uefa announced that nine of the 12 rebel clubs had agreed to apologise and terminate their contracts with the Super League, leaving Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus as the last three refuseniks.
The participation in next season’s Uefa competitions of those clubs, who have won 33 major Uefa trophies between them, is now in serious doubt.
Uefa said in a statement that it “reserved all rights to take whatever action it deems appropriate” and will refer the matter to its disciplinary bodies. The Premier League’s financial measures against its own six are due to follow soon although there is no momentum behind issuing a points deduction. The Premier League’s legal team have been working intensively on the process – crucial to healing the deep wounds left by the breakaway – since the dramatic announcement and subsequent collapse of the Super League between April 18 and 20.
It is by no means certain whether the Super League rebel six will be able to appeal the size of their fines. Uefa announced it will fine all nine - including Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan - five per cent of their annual Uefa prize revenue. It was unable to immediately clarify whether those financial penalties will be calculated on this season's European performances.
If so, the winner of the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City would face the highest pay-out of around £4.5m. In addition, the nine clubs will also make a combined payment of €15m [£13m] towards what Uefa called a “gesture of goodwill” to benefit children, youth and grassroots football. The ownerships of United, Chelsea and Arsenal all confirmed that they would cover those penalties out of personal funds.
The nine clubs have also agreed that in the event they again seek to play in an unauthorised competition the fine will be €100m [£86m] or €50m [£43m] if they breach any other commitments to Uefa as part of the settlement.
The Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: “The measures announced are significant, but none of the financial penalties will be retained by Uefa. They will all be reinvested into youth and grassroots football in local communities across Europe, including the UK. These clubs recognised their mistakes quickly and have taken action to demonstrate their contrition and future commitment to European football. The same cannot be said for the clubs that remain involved in the so-called ‘Super League,’ and Uefa will deal with those clubs subsequently.”
As part of the Uefa measures, the nine clubs have also submitted to a “Club Commitment Declaration” setting out their commitment never to break away again. The nine clubs were ordered to re-join the European Club Association as a result of the agreement and are now "fully committed" to the new post-2024 reforms, which sees the competition increase from 32 teams to 36, with the total number of matches extended by 100.
Kieran Maguire, a lecturer in football finance at Liverpool University, said the punishment from Uefa was "wishy-washy" but the three clubs still intent on pushing through the Super League will face "punitive punishment".
"To put this current punishment into context, you get €2.7million for winning a single Champions League group game," he added.
