Gary Neville has accused the owners of clubs involved in the failed European Super League (ESL) of staging an 'attempted murder of English football'. The former Manchester United defender, a vocal critic of the breakaway project, called for government legislation to prevent similar attempts in the future.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville condemned the plans, which were announced last Sunday by 12 European clubs, including six from the Premier League. The project collapsed within 48 hours amid fierce backlash from fans, pundits, and players. Neville singled out Manchester United's Joel and Avram Glazer and Liverpool's John W. Henry as key drivers, noting they had been forced to apologise publicly.
Neville described the owners as 'imposters' and said the ESL was an attack on clubs like Leeds United, Everton, West Ham, and Newcastle, as well as historic European sides such as Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord. He warned that the owners are 'regrouping' and will not go away, having made a second attempt in eight months after the earlier 'Project Big Picture' proposal.
The pundit argued that apologies are insufficient, stating: 'It was an attempted murder of English football and sorry doesn't wash.' He urged the UK government to introduce legislation to protect the sport, saying only the government can stop the wealthy owners from repeating such actions. Neville added that Real Madrid and Barcelona presidents have indicated they will try again, emphasising the need for immediate action.
