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Football

19th Apr 2021

Sir Alex Ferguson and Rio Ferdinand join Gary Neville in criticising Super League

Danny Jones

Fergie joins fellow United legends in condemning the Super League

After Gary Neville responded passionately about the proposed Super League on Sky Sports, both during and after Manchester United’s game against Burnley yesterday – with Rio Ferdinand speaking with similar severity on BT following Leicester’s FA Cup semi-final victory – Sir Alex Ferguson has also given his thoughts on the controversial new competition.

Speaking to Reuters, Fergie touched upon how both UEFA’s existing and prior European tournaments have always been the pinnacle of continental football. Though he wasn’t probed on whether he thinks it could be improved or how, his overarching sentiment was very much ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’.

“Talk of a Super League is a move away from 70 years of European club football,” the 79-year-old said. He added that “[b]oth as a player for a provincial team Dunfermline in the 60s and as a manager at Aberdeen winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup, for a small provincial club in Scotland it was like climbing Mount Everest”.

Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford

He went on to note that “Everton are spending £500 million to build a new stadium with the ambition to play in Champions League. Fans all over love the competition as it is”.
They aren’t the only club either, with another Super League subscriber in Spurs having done just the same only recently, modelling their new ground on many of those that have graced the Champions League.

Fergie went on to reinforce: “In my time at United, we played in four Champions League finals and they were always the most special of nights”, before stating, “I’m not sure Manchester United are involved in this, as I am not part of the decision-making process.”

Sadly, the reality seems to be that these discussions have taken place whether he was aware of them or not – a stark reminder of where the power truly lies at Old Trafford.