Premier League plans to stop Super League repeat

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - The English Premier League board on Monday announced its measures to stop the future threat of breakaway leagues.

"A new Owners’ Charter that all club owners will be required to sign up to, committing them to the core principles of the Premier League. Breaches of these rules and the Charter will be subject to significant sanctions," the Premier League said in a statement.

"We are enlisting the support of Government to bring in appropriate legislation to protect football’s open pyramid, principles of sporting merit and the integrity of the football community," the statement said.

The Premier League added that it will work with the UK government, European football's governing body UEFA, the English Football Association (The FA), English Football League (EFL) and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) as well as the fan groups for the future of the English football.

On April 19, 12 European football clubs – including England's Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur – said in a joint statement that they have decided to establish the European Super League.

It was an alternative mid-week tournament that FIFA and UEFA, and national member associations do not recognize.

The clubs were under fire after they said that they had founded the breakaway Super League. The UEFA, FIFA, local football associations and football fans condemned their initiative.

The European Super League project collapsed after six English clubs, Italy’s AC Milan and Inter Milan, and Spain’s Atletico Madrid withdrew from it.

However, UEFA Champions League's former champions, Barcelona and Real Madrid from Spain, still favor the breakaway league.​​​​​​​