NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & TΕ«rangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • ManawatΕ« - Whanganui
    • All ManawatΕ« - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • ManawatΕ«
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Football

Football: World rejoices as Super League burns to the ground

news.com.au
21 Apr, 2021 05:30 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber? Β Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access contentβ€”explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
β€Œ
Save

    Share this article

Manchester United's share price took a dive. Photo / Twitter

Manchester United's share price took a dive. Photo / Twitter

The Super League is imploding and football fans couldn't be happier.

Less than 48 hours after bragging about how it would save football, the breakaway group headed by 12 of Europe's biggest clubs is in turmoil as teams pull out and bosses quit following a fiery backlash to their radical proposal.

All six English Premier League teams are withdrawing, while Spanish giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are reportedly considering following suit.

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward announced he will resign at the end of the year and there are rumours Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli is on the verge of doing the same.

There was widespread outrage to the announcement of the elite competition, which many viewed as spitting in the face of football's traditional values as it rejected smaller clubs and did away completely with the concept of relegation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It's why the world can't stop laughing as the Super League β€” which saw the original 12 teams sign up to share a pot of more than $5.4 billion β€” goes down in flames.

Gary Neville laughs last

Manchester United and England legend Gary Neville led the chorus of criticism on Monday, launching a scathing monologue on Sky Sports saying he was "disgusted" by the shock move and blasting the clubs involved β€” including his own beloved Red Devils.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The ex-defender turned pundit was laughing on Wednesday though as he shared a photo to Twitter of him toasting the Super League's demise.

He also posted a gif of dominoes falling as he rejoiced in the chaos.

To The Super League πŸ₯‚ pic.twitter.com/zcHbsJ0DG0

— Gary Neville (@GNev2) April 20, 2021

Manchester United's share price has tanked since it announced it was going to be part of the breakaway competition β€” something angry fans were keen to mock on Twitter.

City star waves goodbye as Liverpool, Chelsea speak up

Discover more

English Premier League

Michael Burgess: The fatal flaw in football's Super League plan

21 Apr 02:50 AM
Football

'We made a mistake': Super League plans crumble as all English clubs quit

20 Apr 11:30 PM
Football

Roundtable: NZME football writers react to Super League plans

20 Apr 05:52 AM

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher poked fun at how quickly the Super League has fallen to pieces.

#SuperLeague πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ pic.twitter.com/aPvG28agWF

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) April 20, 2021

Plenty of current players were speaking out too. Liverpool stars including Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Trent Alexander-Arnold shared the same club post on social media, which read: "We don't like it and we don't want it to happen. This is our collective position.

"Our commitment to this football club and its supporters is absolute and unconditional."

It ended with the words of Liverpool's famous anthem: "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Liverpool royalty Sir Kenny Dalglish added: "The fans have always been and will always be integral to Liverpool Football Club. In so many ways they are the Club. I am relieved to know that the Club has listened to them."

City star Raheem Sterling was happy to see his side leave.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ok bye πŸ‘‹πŸΎ

— Raheem Sterling (@sterling7) April 20, 2021

Former long-time Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger expected the concept to fail. "I'm not surprised it didn't last long. It ignored the basic principles of sporting merit," he said.

"If you ignore that you kill the domestic leagues, so fans would never accept that."

Boris goes bang

Even England Prime Minister Boris Johnson weighed in, taking to Twitter to encourage the rest of the clubs to follow Chelsea and Manchester City by pulling out.

"The decision by Chelsea and Manchester City is β€” if confirmed β€” absolutely the right one and I commend them for it," Johnson tweeted.

"I hope the other clubs involved in the European Super League will follow their lead."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Social media lights up

Social media had a field day with the news. UFC megastar Conor McGregor chimed in, taking a crack at Manchester United.

"Hey guys, I'm thinking about buying Manchester United! What do you think?" he tweeted.

American football writer and podcaster Grant Wahl said: "Watching the Super League collapse in real time is one of the most enjoyable Twitter experiences I've ever had."

Spanish side Sevilla FC and Dutch club Ajax certainly enjoyed watching the Super League burn to the ground, mocking the backflip as others joined in.

pic.twitter.com/DSeDnghQ37

— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) April 20, 2021

pic.twitter.com/IhhCtqjsmk

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) April 20, 2021

πŸ‘ Got there in the end!#FootballForTheFans pic.twitter.com/n1sHdCJebw

— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 20, 2021

European Super League highlights pic.twitter.com/TcXSZpQ7nI

— Nick the not-so-quick (@nick_tnsq) April 20, 2021

Football boss welcomes back City

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin had earlier blasted the Super League "snakes" trying to ruin football, but welcomed back Manchester City after the club confirmed it was backtracking on plans to join the Super League.

"I am delighted to welcome #MCFC back to the European football family," Ceferin said. "As I said at the UEFA Congress, it takes courage to admit a mistake but I never doubted they had the common sense to make that decision."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Football

Premium
Football

10 factors behind Auckland City FC's record defeat

17 Jun 10:00 PM
Football

How Kiwis might still watch the Women's Euros despite broadcast hurdles

17 Jun 08:00 PM
New Zealand

On The Up: No Lack of goals as Super Sam hunts pro football dream

17 Jun 05:00 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Football

Premium
10 factors behind Auckland City FC's record defeat

10 factors behind Auckland City FC's record defeat

17 Jun 10:00 PM

The amateurs were always rank underdogs, but several factors made their task tougher.

How Kiwis might still watch the Women's Euros despite broadcast hurdles

How Kiwis might still watch the Women's Euros despite broadcast hurdles

17 Jun 08:00 PM
On The Up: No Lack of goals as Super Sam hunts pro football dream

On The Up: No Lack of goals as Super Sam hunts pro football dream

17 Jun 05:00 PM
Global giants Real Madrid set to run a football camp in Auckland

Global giants Real Madrid set to run a football camp in Auckland

17 Jun 03:30 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • Β© Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP