UK's Johnson threatens to pass legislation to stop soccer Super League

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday his government would consider passing legislation to stop the planned breakaway European Super League by 12 soccer clubs, likening the plans to creating a cartel.

Johnson held a meeting with representatives from the English Football Association, the English Premier League and fan groups where he confirmed the government would not stand by to allow the creation of a closed shop

"It is not in the interest of fans, not in the interest of football, how can it be right to have a situation in which you create a kind of cartel that stops clubs competing against each other, playing against each other?" Johnson told a news conference.

"If necessary, in order to protect that principle of competition we will seek, as I said, to the bodies earlier on, we will seek the legislative solution."

(Reporting by William James, editing by Elizabeth Piper)