European Super League will kill the foundation of football in England, it won't happen - Paul Parker

Published 20/04/2021 at 18:20 GMT

Former Manchester United and England defender Paul Parker does not believe clubs will follow through and join the controversial European Super League. Parker does not believe the plan is feasible, amid fierce criticism for it, and that trying to target a younger audience would still leave the breakaway league in the minority compared to those who would rather watch the existing competitions.

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I personally don't think the clubs can follow through with a Super League.

Stay away from the moneymen and you speak to the real people involved in the clubs, they don't want it to happen. They know it isn't going to work because the players won't want to play in it.

The players, if you haven't got some form of ego then you shouldn't really be in the game because it is about that. It comes through the admiration you receive and everything you thrive on to play professional football. It will all be taken away.

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You and the club may be earning fortunes but you are playing in a competition which people are not going to want to really watch and you won't receive the adulation you had before in playing for your side.

It will lose its way like when Kerry Packer set up World Series Cricket (a breakaway cricket competition in the 1970s which lasted two years).

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As a player, you lose your integrity as a footballer if you want to play in this. You're already earning good money in the Premier League - how much more money do you want to earn?

We understand about the people in charge because football changed for the money people at the beginning of the Premier League in the 1990s.

If this league goes ahead you will kill the foundation of football in England, which is the Championship downwards, and the history of our game. Football could die and I don't know what these clubs are thinking.

They are banking on the heartstrings and the love of all these youngsters who are constantly on Twitter, whose life around football surrounds video games like FIFA.

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The Super League fans are not going to be real football supporters, they are going to be youngsters who know nothing about the game and have been born into cosmetic football. They think cosmetic football is great and that stats are fantastic because you judge a player on how good their numbers are and not by watching them play over 90 minutes.

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Two of the biggest crimes in football at this moment in time are video games and stats. If that's what the Super League are working off then the fans against it are still a huge majority.

I do not believe the 12 clubs can follow through. It is not going to work. There are too many people criticising it and it needs putting to bed.

To bring this plan in now and talk about money is absolutely shocking. What is wrong with waiting to make the announcement at the end of the season at the very least?

There is a season going on and you're putting almighty pressure on clubs. You saw Leeds fans at Elland Road on Monday night and it will be much worse with Manchester United this weekend.

It's not fair on the players.