Roy Hodgson warmed by power of fan movement in response to European Super League proposals

BY SAM SMITH

Roy Hodgson believes the power of fan movements is best thing to have come out of the discourse surrounding the maligned European Super League.

Supporters of the ‘big six’ English teams this week protested against their clubs’ involvement in an exclusive division made up of Europe’s elite, which were announced on Sunday evening.

Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal all pulled out following vast fan anger. Chelsea supporters organised a demonstration outside Stamford Bridge prior to their game with Brighton on Tuesday – just before the Blues withdrew from the ESL.

Crystal Palace boss Hodgson also praised Eagles chairman Steve Parish, who was vocal in his criticism of the proposals. Gary Neville, who was part of the coaching set up when Hodgson was England manager, was also at the forefront of the the discontent.

The 73-year-old said: “I’ve been as shocked as everybody within the game of football. I was disappointed to see what Steve [Parish], Gary Neville and a lot of other people have described as some sort of coup.

“It was putting at great risk people’s ability to qualify for Europe – a lucrative Champions League purely on the basis of just how rich they were or how well they have done in the past. I’m 100 per cent behind what’s been done and what’s been said [to stop it], and I take my hat off to the people who really have gone out onto the front line – our chairman Steve Parish, Gary Neville, John Barnes, lots of people who have gone out and said some really intelligent things.

Most importantly of all, the best thing that has happened is the fan movement. You could even argue that some of the fans of these big clubs might have been quite happy to say: ‘Okay, we’re with you on this one. We’re quite happy that you don’t have to worry about the last game of the season and whether we’re going to qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League because our place is guaranteed.’

“I think the fans – as Steve put it – voted for the right to lose. I think that’s probably the most important thing of all. Also, they have shown their strength because these are days when clubs don’t depend quite so heavily on the money coming through the turnstiles, because there is so much money coming through from sponsorships and broadcasters.

“It’s great for me to see that it is still fans who we are playing for [and that] it’s still the fans who matter the most. It’s fans who have brought about such a radical change in a situation that looked very difficult to change.

“The cynics in the world of football would have been thinking they will let them storm blow over and then accept that our game is going to change enormously from the game that we have always known and loved.”