With 15 teams in the European Super League (ESL) not facing qualification or relegation, critics said it would have devalued the game because it was unfair and uncompetitive. However, a future winner of the Premier League would not necessarily have qualified for the ESL if they were not a permanent member.
If this were the case, that team would miss out on millions of pounds in revenue. The ESL attracted widespread criticism from pundits, players, MPs and most football bodies not involved. Fans of the clubs involved held several protests outside their grounds.
The president of Uefa (the Union of European Football Associations), Aleksander Ceferin, had warned that participating clubs could be banned from European competition, and their players prevented from appearing at the Euros and the World Cup.
Mr Ceferin welcomed the English clubs' reversal, saying, "the important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that the game enjoyed before this, and move forward together".
The Champions League final will be held in Istanbul on May 29 as planned despite a coronavirus surge in Turkey which has led to the country announcing a third lockdown, UEFA told AFP on Friday. European football’s governing body insisted that the continent’s showpiece match would stay in the Turkish city following claims from broadcaster RMC, which shows the Champions League in France, and British tabloid the Daily Mail that a venue change was being considered. UEFA told AFP that it had been assured that the lockdown, which began on Thursday and is set to run until May 17, “should not have any impact on the match", which will take place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium with a “limited number of spectators".
UEFA added that it “will continue to work closely with the Turkish Football Federation and the local and national authorities to stage the match safely".
Hisense, the world-renowned technology company, has entered into a partnership with FIFA to become an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, creating an exclusive connection between the tournament’s worldwide audience in unique and compelling ways.
By joining the roster of Commercial Affiliates for the upcoming tournament, Hisense will be involved in a programme that will range from on-site engagement opportunities and logo visibility across various platforms to global advertising campaigns. The collaboration, which began in 2017 prior to the FIFA World Cup™ in Russia, also provides Hisense with an occasion to present specially created, video-on-demand programming to its customers using past FIFA World Cup content, delivered through its integrated VIDAA smart TV platform.
The Premier League has rescheduled the penultimate round of fixtures to midweek so that all clubs can have one game with fans before the end of the season.
Under the current roadmap out of lockdown, a limited number of fans will be allowed to return to stadiums from May 17.
Match Round 37 will now take place in the midweek of May 18 & 19, having originally been due to take place on the weekend of May 15 & 16.
Further details regarding new kick-off times will be announced in due course, the Premier League said.
