Super League

Written By Shillary Guerrero
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In all of my years being a football fan, I would have never imagined something like this to happen to the most loved sport in the world. I was not expecting to agree with so many Liverpool, Barcelona fans like today, ever in my life. Anyways, you ever read a headline or hear about something and it feels so wrong to even think about it?

Football fans worldwide are furious with what is going on and what had changed the beautiful game forever, which is the famous new proposal of the Super League. Something that sounds so dumb from the surface and reading about what it means solidifies that it is the greediest and a slap to the fan's faces—a way to control all the handled money and have richer teams get even richer.

If you have no idea about what the super league is about or what it means, I will try my best to explain. Teams introduced to this new league's proposal are offered a large amount of money to join. Twelve of the clubs (teams) with the most money declared that they are making their league (tournament) change the Champions League. UEFA Champions League is a huge deal and a massive part of football's history to give you some context. To add on, it allows smaller teams to play against bigger teams. Super League would change that entirely, making it all about taking UEFA Champion League's most prominent teams and making their competition with just them. Sounds a bit greedy, and wrong huh? To add to the mercenary fact, these distinguished clubs trying to make their league will split BILLIONS with each other. So why would a team join this new league after years of UCL tradition and memories.. money? On top of everything like all of this was not enough, UEFA has banned players who will play in Super League to not play for the World Cup or other international tournaments like such. I watched many videos about the Super League and found one with Rio in it and what he says is probably the best way to explain why all of this is just improper and upsetting.

"...The rich getting richer, and the others not being considered. There is no consideration for the history, for the people at different parts of the pyramid below the top top teams that they are trying to separate with. It's a disgrace. I can't believe it how they've got the audacity to do it in the climate we're in the moment...people struggling in the streets...The element of being anti-competitive, it goes against everything that footballs about. Relegation, promotion, being rewarded for winning, being punished for not winning. These are things that add to the value of our game that we love. The people that actually support this game and make it what it is, we've been here for all these times with no fans without them, this game don't feel the same. They're the people this is gonna hurt more than anybody. The people that make this game special are not being considered." Rio Ferdinand.

Rio does such a fantastic way of explaining how messed up this situation is. Being a Manchester United ex-player and fan, he is embarrassed and does not support this idea that his club has agreed on and says it like how it is regardless of the history he has had with United. Much respect for Rio.

I think about fans from various teams and try to get in their shoes. For example, Leeds Fc fans have waited so long to see their team get to the top just for big corporate guys to take away everything from them. Or the famous slogan of one of my rival's teams, "You'll Never Walk Alone." How do you as a club promote that you will never walk alone to your fans but do not consider your fans in such a game-changing decision? By the way, this is not just towards Liverpool but to every team that has even had this thought cross their mind and thought it was a good idea. As Rio said, this is not what football is about, and these owners of teams have no idea what the true meaning of football is. It is truly saddening that everything nowadays and for some time now has all been about money. I was chatting with a football fanatic recently and he said something that really stuck to me “think of all the money and jobs created for small communities with teams who make runs in Europa and UEFA Champions League. These communities will be hurt the most when they’re not included and major clubs are not coming to play tournament games at their stadiums anymore.” (Jeff Garrett Jr.).

RIP Bobby Robson.

RIP Bobby Robson.

The more I think about it, the sadder I get; with teary eyes, if all of this goes through (wishing it gets canceled and we all wake up as nothing happened), football will never be the same. I have been a football fan since birth practically, and the thing I loved the most was the fans of this sport. Football fans are easily the best, craziest, passionate fans on earth, and today their dedication to the game was not considered. One of the aspects I most loved about his game and sports, in general, is that any team who works hard for it can win and become one of the greats. Today money and greed were put before traditions, history, and passion. I have seen many "RIP Football" posts on social media, and I get it 100%. Do I want to accept it? No. Not yet. If this is genuinely the last ride we will have, the last ride of what we know, then I will mourn, but I refuse to accept something so devastating. I saw this one tweet saying, "this is Real Madrid's last champions league," and lost it. Why did one of the most loved tournaments of the most loved sport in the world turn out like this (rhetorical question)?

I honestly have no idea what else to say. I am angry and distraught. I do not want to say goodbye to everything that we have learned to love as little kids. All I know is that I am deeply saddened, and I think the rest of the football world is too. Maybe since most football fans disagree with this idea, the leaders of these teams will notice and decide to cancel it all. One could only hope.

Shillary Guerrero
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