April 22 – As the repercussions of the collapse of the European Super League begin to take shape, Manchester United’s American co-chairman Joel Glazer has become the latest high-profile figure to “apologise unreservedly” to fans for the club’s involvement in the aborted project, saying United failed to show respect to the “deep-rooted traditions” of the English game.
“We continue to believe that European football needs to become more sustainable,” Glazer wrote in an open letter to supporters before adding that “we fully accept that the Super League was not the right way to go about it.”
United were among the six Premier League clubs who had signed up for the venture (and one of the main drivers) before withdrawing on Tuesday amid howls of protests from fans, players, governing bodies and the British government.
“In seeking to create a more stable foundation for the game, we failed to show enough respect for its deep-rooted traditions – promotion, relegation, the pyramid – and for that we are sorry,” Glazer wrote.
“You made very clear your opposition to the Super League, and we have listened. We got it wrong, and we want to show that we can put things right. This is the world’s greatest football club and we apologise unreservedly for the unrest caused during these past few days.
“Although the wounds are raw and I understand that it will take time for the scars to heal, I am personally committed to rebuilding trust with our fans and learning from the message you delivered with such conviction.”
Glazer, who has long had a fractious relationship with United’s fans, had been unveiled as the Super League’s vice-chairman but admitted the club needed to “better communicate”.
However, the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) described the decision to break away as a watershed moment and said that fans could not “carry on as if nothing happened”.
“We all know until they felt forced to withdraw, they were determined to proceed with their Super League project regardless of opposition,” a MUST spokesperson said.
Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman, stepped down the same evening the Super League collapsed but reports have emerged that his resignation wasn’t directly connected with the breakaway league and that the announcement of his year-end departure was brought forward to avoid it being leaked.
However, shortly after plans for the ESL hit the deadlines on Sunday, Woodward also stepped down from his role on UEFA’s Professional Football Strategy Council. He had had significant input into the discussions around a revamped Champions League only two days previously according to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, effectively making his UEFA role untenable.
See James Dostoyevsky: Super Leaks: Man, U didn’t – did you?
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