The players' dilemma faced with a proposal for European Super League 1:43
(CNN) -
Liverpool and Leeds United players and fans took a stand against the European Super League, the controversial competition that is expected to change the face of football, during the Premier League game between the two teams on Monday.
The fans demonstrated in front of the Leeds stadium on Elland Road, and a banner with the slogan "#saynotosuperleague" ("say no to the Super League") was waved on the field before the start of the game.
On the pitch, Leeds players wore T-shirts with the words 'Football is for the fans' and 'Win it' alongside a Champions League logo during warm-up, a reference to teams having to qualify to qualify. play in the Champions League, which would not be the case for the founding clubs of the Superliga.
The Premier kicks off with "fireworks" between Liverpool and Leeds United
Liverpool are one of 12 teams to have entered the competition, a dissident European league that currently features the best teams from England, Spain and Italy.
A plane flies over Elland Road in protest at the European Super League.
'Soccer is for the fans'
Most of the teams participating in such competition, which could start later this year and generate more revenue than current European competitions, would be permanent members.
"I can't understand how many things they are saying," Leeds forward Patrick Bamford told Sky Sports after Monday's game, which ended 1-1.
“The amount of fuss in the game is unbelievable when someone's pocketbook is damaged.
It's a shame that it's not like that with other things that are going wrong right now, with racism.
advertising
“I have not seen any football fan who is happy with the decision and I think that football, ultimately, is for the fans.
Politicians and footballers who oppose the European Super League
Without the fans, all the clubs would be practically nothing.
So I think it's important that we stand firm and show that football is for the fans and try to keep it that way.
Leeds players protested against the European Super League before the start of the competition.
'We didn't know anything about it'
The announcement of the Super League on Sunday prompted widespread condemnation in the football world and beyond, including from players whose clubs have signed up to the league.
«I can only say my personal opinion, I don't like it.
Hopefully it doesn't happen, ”Liverpool captain James Milner told Sky Sports.
“The players obviously haven't even had a say, so the welcome we received tonight on the pitch seemed a bit unfair to me.
We are here to play football and we have no control over it.
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, whose team is sixth in the Premier League, two spots out of what would be automatic qualification for the Champions League, spoke out against the concept of a European Super League in 2019 and reiterated his concern this Monday.
"People are not happy about it, I can understand it," Klopp told Sky Sports.
"But I can't say much more about it to be honest because we weren't involved in any process, neither the players, nor I, we didn't know anything about it… we'll have to wait (and see) how it develops."
“Obviously I have no problem with the Champions League… I like that West Ham (fourth placed) can play the Champions League next year.
I don't want them to do it, to be honest, because we want to do it, but I like that they have the opportunity.
Fans pose with a banner before Monday's game.
The draw against Leeds was the first time since 7 March Liverpool had lost points in the Premier League after three consecutive victories.
Sadio Mane opened the scoring for the visiting team when he converted Trent Alexander-Arnold's square pass into an open goal in the first half.
However, Leeds sought to equalize in the second half and ended up equalizing the score in the 87th minute, when Diego Llorente headed in a corner.
Pérez: the Superliga will «save» football
The president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, the first president of the Superliga whose club is one of the founding members, has spoken that competition is crucial for the health of football in the long term.
Speaking to the Spanish sports program El Chiringuito, Pérez said that the game has to adapt since the young public "is no longer interested in football."
"Football has to evolve, as life does, as companies do, as we do, as people do, as thought processes," he said.
“Social networks have changed the way people behave and entertain themselves.
Football has to change and adapt to the times we live in ... Something had to be done, but the pandemic told us that we had to do it urgently.
Pérez is the first president of the Super League.
Pérez added that "the big clubs that play among themselves" are the ones that generate the most interest in the game.
"You will understand that a Madrid-United or a Barcelona-Milan are more watched than a Manchester United against a more modest team that plays in the Champions League because all countries participate."
- CNN's Patrick Sung Cuadrado contributed to this report.
Super league
