Evening StandardThe future of football: Our five-point manifesto for change after European Super League shambles
In the wake of the Super League collapsing before it even got off the ground, football now has the chance to change more about the game. The Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ came close to tearing the game apart and now action must be taken to ensure it cannot happen again. This was due to take place after the pandemic, but culture secretary Oliver Dowden has vowed it will now be brought forward.
The TelegraphUefa under pressure to block rebel plotters from taking up extra Champions League places
Manchester United, Liverpool and the other Super League plotters are in danger of being stripped of their right to enter the revamped Champions League through the back door. Following the stunning collapse of the largely-reviled tournament, Uefa is under pressure to scrap plans that could see places in its own elite club competition awarded to the likes of United and Liverpool if they finish outside the top four of the Premier League. The new Champions League format ratified on Monday in a show of defiance against The Super League includes two spots reserved for the highest-ranked teams who fail to get into the competition on merit provided they qualify for one of its other tournaments. The new entry criteria will not come into effect until 2024-25 but, had it been in place last season, it would have seen Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur qualify despite finishing eighth and sixth, respectively, in the Premier League. The plan faced strong opposition even before this week’s furious backlash against The Super League and its plot to install 15 clubs as permanent members.
Evening StandardTottenham vs Southampton LIVE! Latest team news, lineups, prediction, TV and Premier League match stream today
A whirlwind 72 hours will conclude this evening with the start of the latest new era at Spurs as interim head coach Ryan Mason will take charge of the team for the first time. Joining the European Super League, Jose Mourinho’s sacking and the collapse of said League has overshadowed Mason’s appointment to the end of the season and he will be looking to make a positive start this evening - in the face of possible fan protests over the ESL. Harry Kane will not be involved, and there remain concerns of the striker’s involvement against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final, but Mason’s team selection will no doubt be interesting with the likes of Dele Alli and Gareth Bale looking to come back in from the cold.
