Alan Shearer has called for Liverpool and the other five clubs who have agreed to join a closed shop European Super League to be banned from the Premier League.
The 12 founding members of the so-called European Super League (which in addition to Liverpool also includes fellow English sides Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur) have been facing a fierce backlash after unveiling proposals for a breakaway tournament.
Asked on BBC Breakfast if he’d go as far as banning the rebel clubs, the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer Shearer said: “Yes, why not? The Super League have chucked a grenade at the Premier League and have chucked a grenade at everyone else.
“Well chuck one back – ban them. Ban them immediately if you can.
“I’m sure they’ll look at every possible legal angle and what pressure they’re under in doing that but if you can, do it.”
Shearer, who also called out the proposed Super League owners of English clubs, such as FSG at Liverpool, for not coming out to face the media while the likes of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp – who has always been clear in his objections to such projects – to face the flak, outlined why he and so many others are against the idea.
He added: “It’s not correct, it’s not right what they’re trying to do.
“It’s not competitive, it’s a closed shop. You can’t have a competition where nobody else is allowed in.
“Look at the great work that Leicester have done, that West Ham are doing, if it were to happen, then despite all their great work, they can’t get involved with the elite.
“That is just plain and simply wrong.
“The owners are clearly removed from the heritage of competition, they don’t have any sense of the value of the clubs’ relationship with the fans and the communities.
“The clubs talk about being a family and the fans are the soul of the club, how they’ve missed fans in this pandemic, that’s all we’ve heard how the game isn’t the same without the fans.
“Well let’s see what they really think about the fans because the fans have now spoken and it’s clearly obvious that they, we, don’t want that.
“What is there? Twelve owners who want this. That is it.
“Everyone has spoken and everyone is against it.
“Let’s just see what their fans mean to the football clubs.”
