Indian Super League side Odisha FC took to social media to appeal to supporters of the 12 clubs who have set up a breakaway European Super League.
The Bhubaneshwar-based side wants them to follow them.
“Dear, AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur fans, If you need a new club to support, we’re always here for you. With regards, Odisha FC,” they posted on Twitter.
The founding clubs of the mid-week league were listed as Premier League clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea; Italy’s Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan, and the Spanish trio of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, DPA reports.
It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence “as soon as practicable”.
The clubs would share a fund of 3.5 billion euros ($4.19 billion) to spend on infrastructure projects and to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The money would not be available to spend on players.
The League said they will make ‘solidarity payments’ to the rest of European football which will exceed those currently offered by UEFA and which “are expected to be in excess of 10 billion euros” over the 23-year commitment period the clubs have entered into.
“We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world. Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires,” said Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, the first chairman of the Super League.
No German or French clubs have yet to be associated with the breakaway.
World football’s governing body FIFA expressed its “disapproval to a ‘closed European breakaway league’ outside of the international football structures”.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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