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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Jack Rathborn

Ian Wright labels Arsenal ‘shameful’ over plans to join European Super League

Photograph: Ian Wright / Twitter

Ian Wright has labelled his former club Arsenal “shameful” for their participation in a planned European Super League.

The Gunners were confirmed as one of the 12 founding members of this rival competition to the Champions League on Sunday evening.

And Wright has bemoaned the proposals, insisting his former club, who currently sit ninth in the Premier League, have no right to even be involved in the competition, in addition to the damage it could do to the English game.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw Arsenal’s name,” Wright said on his social media account. “This is the same Arsenal that was only just, a couple of weeks ago, commended for its tribute to David Rocastle. God, he would be turning in his grave knowing what’s going on now.

“Is this how far we’ve fallen? That we are now getting into competitions because we’re not good enough to get into. To the detriment of the English game, we’re getting a seat to the table we have no right to be at.

“It’s shameful. I’ve heard that word used, it is shameful. If I’m a player, if I play in this competition, I can’t play in the Euros, in the Fifa World Cup. They’re saying the teams in the semi-finals may get disqualified from the Champions League, because of this.

“Where is the competition in all of this? I totally disagree with this. Where’s the jeopardy? Are we supposed to play these great teams on a weekly basis.

“I played AC Milan twice in my career, it is something I will never forget. Are we supposed to be playing these teams so frequently? It’s not supposed to be like that. How do you feel as a player right now? I’d be absolutely s***ing myself now.

“Those clubs involved are English by name only. It’s a shame. It just makes me very sad. There is no way the fans, they will see straight through this b******s, I love the way that everybody is roundly condemning this, we have to stick together with this.”

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