For the first time ever, Manchester United supporters are happy that their club is out of a competition. In a release that went out just five minutes before midnight local time, the club officially announced their withdrawal from the European Super League.
This news comes on the heels of United confirming the resignation of their CEO Ed Woodward, effective at the end of this season and the withdrawal of Manchester City and Chelsea from the ESL.
“We have listened carefully to the reaction from our fans, the UK government and other key stakeholders,” the statement reads.
“We remain committed to working with others across the football community to come up with sustainable solutions to the long-term challenges facing the game.”
The statement rings absolutely hollow, given all that has transpired since Sunday. While City was first, Chelsea soon followed, as did the rest of the big six in pulling out of the ESL. As of now, all of the English clubs (Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool round out the group) are Brexiting the much reviled Super League proposal.
With only six clubs left, the trio of Spanish clubs and the triad of Italian teams, it won’t be long before the Super League itself is totally kaput. It appears the backlash against the idea was so strong that its folding was eventually inevitable. Consider this a big win for the fans.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.