Ultimate Betrayal

Big rivals in game join forces to slam ‘greedy’ breakaway chiefs

- Jeremy Armstrong And Ben Glaze

MORE used to being bitter rivals, fans of English football were last night united in fury at their clubs for signing up to the breakaway European Super League.

Supporters accused the mega-rich owners of betraying the beautiful game that was born out of the working classes and slavishly putting “greed above integrity”.

As football structures were turned on their head, even Prince William joined the chorus of anger at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.

England stars from those teams such as Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford have been warned they could now be banned from this year’s Euros competition.

And City and Chelsea face being kicked out of the Champions League semi-finals, due to start next week.

Sky football pundit and former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher said: “I think supporters can stop this. We have tribalism, we have rivalry, and that’s what makes it the game it is. Football fans get together. All of us. We need marches on stadiums. This cannot be allowed to happen.”

Fellow Sky pundit and former Man Utd defender Gary Neville added: “It’s pure greed. This is an attack on everything that’s been important in this country. Football has helped, in the midst of a pandemic, more than ever, to keep people going. And they’re trying to take it away from us.”

Fans across the land protested against the formation of the new league, which will replace the popular Champions League from next season.

Some unfurled a banner at Old Trafford which read: “Created by the poor, stolen by the rich.”