Sam Allardyce issues European Super League warning: ‘We’re likely to see this again’

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West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce has shared his view of the failed European Super League plans and issued a stark warning to football’s governing bodies to get their house in order to prevent a successful second attempt to get a breakaway league off the ground.

Speaking ahead of the Baggies’ Thursday night Premier League clash with Leicester City, Allardyce said the game’s custodians need to learn from the events of recent days to better protect the integrity of the sport’s key compettion.

“In that format it’s dead, but in other formats it’s on hold,” Allardyce claimed.

“The devastating impact of what was said is far-reaching across the country, and it would have been extremely damaging for the pyramid of the historical game we have in this country.

“What we’ve seen from the fans, the public, and the remaining 14 clubs in the Premier League, and all those who support football, have come out against it, it’s shocked everyone, particularly in this country.

“There are lessons to be learned for the governing bodies who run our game and, unless we learn those lessons quickly and protect better the structure of our game, we’re likely to see this again and again.”

Allardyce continued, “It’s not a new idea, it might’ve been a new format but it’s been talked about for years. The bigger boys want a bigger share of the pot.

“Luckily, because of the other 14 and the votes, that’s been resisted, and rightly so. Instead, they’ve gone behind people’s backs to find a solution for them and only them and not for football in general.

“We have the best league in the world and raises the most money, that six of our clubs have chosen to desert that format. Why would you want to desert the most watched, most entertaining league, with the best managers and players? Why would you want to destroy that?

“Individuals have come together, and this stinks of the American system trying to be put in place. Three of the six clubs, their owners are based in America. No relegation, no promotion – you can see where it’s probably come from.”

Allardyce admitted he wasn’t sure exactly how the authorities could protect the game from another breakaway bid, but he urged the key organisations within the game to work together to find a solution to ensure the future of the football pyramid.

“It’s not my responsibility, you can’t ask me how it can be done, but the stakeholders must have a bigger influence – the fans’ trusts, the PFA, the LMA, the FA, the EFL, and the Premier League.

“There must be some way they can all come together and put in better rules, regulations and better ways forward then we may avoid this situation again.

“Until then, we’ll still find ourselves open down the line to some other changes on the basis of ‘we want more money, more branding’ and in the respect of football in general – we don’t care.

“I don’t know what the sanctions can be, but if we break the rules, we get sanctioned. If I breach any rules, I get sanctioned.

“In this case, they’ve broken the rules. They need to be looked at, what form of punishment I don’t know, but certainly if you’ve broken the rules then you need to pay for that.”

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