All six English clubs have now pulled out of the dead on arrival European Super League, and each did so in their own special way. The two teams that comprise the north London rivalry, Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur, issued statements that took on an apologetic tone.
It’s understandable, given how these are two clubs who mostly just went along for the ride. Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid were the ringleaders, with the north London clubs following suit mostly out of fear of being left behind.
As soon as this polarizing thing was announced, Spurs and Arsenal became the butt of jokes for football fans worldwide. Perceiving them to be the weakest clubs in the competition, social media users everywhere took potshots at them. While it is for the best of everybody that the ESL didn’t happen, it’s especially good for those who don’t want to see the Gunners and Spurs get whomped every week.
If you want to see all the withdrawal statements from the big six, NBC rounded that up here. For United’s departure comments and more on them, go here. For an analysis on why Chelsea and Manchester City were the last to join and the first to leave, go here.
And without further ado, here are the snippets of the north London mea culpa statements. Not the full, but excerpts of the “our bad” remarks.
Open Letter to the Fans from Arsenal Football Club
“It was never our intention to cause such distress, however when the invitation to join the Super League came, while knowing there were no guarantees, we did not want to be left behind to ensure we protected Arsenal and its future.
“As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League. We made a mistake, and we apologize for it.”
Statement from Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy
“We regret the anxiety and upset caused by the ESL proposal. We felt it was important that our club participated in the development of a possible new structure that sought to better ensure financial fair play and financial sustainability whilst delivering significantly increased support for the wider football pyramid.
“We believe that we should never stand still and that the sport should constantly review competitions and governance to ensure the game we all love continues to evolve and excite fans around the world. We should like to thank all those supporters who presented their considered opinions.
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.