Gerard Pique has made an impassioned plea for other clubs - including Everton and Leicester City - in his case against the European Super League.
The 12-club project received an incredible backlash from fans as well as players and coaches within the game. But while most footballers only considered their own team's situation, Barcelona defender Pique drew attention to the clubs most damaged by missing out.
"It is not positive in the long term," Pique told Futbol en Movistar of the Super League scheme.
"Do we want teams like Sevilla, Valencia, Everton, Leicester or Napoli to disappear? Because these clubs are going to move towards being worth nothing."
🚨 Gerard Pique told @MovistarFutbol about the Super League: “It is not positive in the long term. Do we want teams like Sevilla, Valencia, Everton, Leicester or Napoli to disappear? Because these clubs are going to tend to be worth nothing” #ESL 🇪🇸
— Reshad Rahman ✆ (@HagridFCB) April 21, 2021
Pique may be right in that if the (for now) abandoned project had gone ahead, it would be big clubs in England, Italy and Spain who weren't part of the Super League who would have stood to lose the most.
The Barca legend is far from the only player to speak out against the Super League plan - but he is among the first from one of the 12 clubs involved to champion the teams left behind as his biggest concern.
🗣Gerard Pique via Movistar:
— Culers FCB (@CulersF) April 21, 2021
“Do we want this for football? Is this what we want? The disappearance of clubs such as Everton, Valencia, Sevilla or Leicester and Napoli? Because these clubs will be equal to 0 if the super League is approved”. #FCB
Already better than Laporta in my book.
— KartFCB (@kartfcb) April 21, 2021
This is why he is better than Ramos
— µg (@10SantoshPoudel) April 21, 2021
Ramos could never do this
"Football belongs to the fans. Today more than ever," Pique tweeted after the news broke that the Super League was not going ahead, after a damning reaction from supporters.
Football belongs to the fans. Today more than ever.
— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) April 20, 2021
He was backed by Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, who said: "I don't want to talk much about this issue too much, but I agree with Piqué's tweet."
Everton released a statement when the Super League news first broke, slamming the six Premier League clubs involved. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham have all now backed down and withdrawn from the proposed competition.
Barcelona were one of three La Liga clubs originally involved, alongside Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
But clearly the 34-year-old Barca great Pique wanted nothing to do with the competition. And his concern was for clubs across Europe's top flights, rather than just his own.
🚨 Ronald Koeman, on his opinion on the Super League: "I don't want to talk much about this issue too much, but I agree with Piqué's tweet” #ESL 🇪🇸
— Reshad Rahman ✆ (@HagridFCB) April 21, 2021
Piqué on the European Super League...
— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) April 21, 2021
🗣 "Do we want this for football? Is that what we want? The disappearance of clubs such as Everton, Valencia, Sevilla or Leicester, and Napoli? If the tournament is adopted, these clubs will be worthless." #FCB 👥🚨
Well said, Gerard.
All imagery: PA Images
source https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-news-gerard-pique-pleas-for-everton-leicester-in-anti-super-league-speech-20210421
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