Ange Postecoglou hails fans speaking out against European Super League proposals… and says it will fail again after supporters’ protests foiled it in 2021
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Ange Postecoglou said “power to the people” when asked about the European Super League on Friday, pointing out that it failed thanks to fan-led protests in 2021 and will fail again.
The Tottenham manager, known as a football romantic, was working for Yokohama Marinos in Japan when the original idea was unveiled.
It was such a seismic story at the time that even the sacking of Jose Mourinho by Spurs didn't dominate the news agenda as it usually does.
Tottenham are among the Premier League clubs to have distanced themselves from the revival of the Super League after the European Court of Justice gave it the green light this week.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is still leaning on its benefits, as is his Barcelona counterpart Joan Laporta. But Postecoglou said of the whole idea ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Everton: 'Maybe it has surprised some people. It didn't surprise me.
Ange Postecoglou has come a long way since European Super League proposals first surfaced
Fans came out in full force to protest the announcement of the 'closed' league in April 2021
'These decisions are made in a room with a number of people who keep a reasonable distance from what the real world of football is all about.
'They think it's a great idea and then walk out of the room and are confronted with reality.
'The one thing that whole period showed us, because we were just coming out of Covid, was that without fans you have a hard time.
'It was still shown on TV, but no one can tell me it was the same product. We tried to artificially create atmosphere so that it felt like a real football match.
'It's a bit of a throwaway term that says, 'Without the fans, football is nothing', but it's true in many ways.
The ECJ ruled on Thursday that UEFA and FIFA acted unlawfully by blocking their creation in 2021
CEO of the European Super League, Bernd Reichart, announced the proposed structure of the leading group on Thursday morning
“You have to test the temperature in the room before you make those kinds of decisions, and I don't think that's often taken into account.
“Any idea that comes down to numbers in our game, where there is so much investment and emotional attachment, is always going to struggle to get up.”
Speaking about the reaction to Super League 2021, including the angry scenes outside Stamford Bridge where Chelsea technical director Petr Cech tried to calm protesters, Postecoglou said: “Power to the people, mate. It's good that people still have a voice. That's what life is about. It was amazing.'
Postecoglou went on to say that the workload placed on players is concerning, continuing: “The saturation of the product we have will deteriorate because we are placing so many demands on players.
Teams are guaranteed 14 group matches, before the knockout stages determine the winners of each competition
'Ultimately performance will suffer. Ultimately, you will miss more players due to injuries or fatigue.
'We keep coming up with competitions that we think will be great. For the most part, they are lenders.
“I understand that because that's what makes the game grow, but if the gamblers don't like what they see and don't show up, it's not going to work.”
Asked if he is surprised that there are still factions within football promoting this idea, he said: 'Nothing surprises me, mate. Not in this world.'
