'There should be a Brexit in football' - Former AC Milan chief calls for European Super League without English clubs

Adriano Galliani, former CEO of AC Milan, has called for a European Super League (ESL) to be formed without English clubs, suggesting that there should be a «Brexit in football». Initial plans for a breakaway league formed by many of Europe's biggest clubs in April of last year collapsed after being met with strong opposition from supporters.

Ad English clubs, under pressure after concerted protests from large numbers of fans, were the first to withdraw from the JP Morgan-backed venture, precipitating a near-total abandonment of the project. FootballTen Hag at Man Utd, the 'real' Messi and are Barca back? — The European Storylines we're watching05/08/2022 AT 11:02 Galliani, however, believes it is an idea that should be revisited despite widespread criticism from players, managers and governing bodies.

The 78-year-old is a close ally of Silvio Berlusconi, former president of Italy and AC Milan owner, and the pair helped guide Italian club Monza into Serie A for the first time last season. That elevation into the top tier has emphasised Galliani's belief that the value of television rights in English football has granted the Premier League a financial power that continental clubs cannot match.

«Premier League clubs earn four times more than in Serie A,» Galliani explained to Tuttosport. «Monza get €33m (£28m) from TV rights, and we must give €3m (£2.5m) to Serie B.

»A newly-promoted team in England gets €160m (£135m). «How can we compete with Nottingham Forest? And how can we stop this tendency of the world economy? »Who could make the British do it and lose four billion a year, plus stadiums that are always full? It must therefore be a real European championship, without the English." The initial plans for the ESL