John Barnes has warned that the disbanding of the European Super League talks is not a victory for fans, claiming that it is instead a victory for whoever wishes “to exploit football fans”.
The Liverpool legend compared the breakaway league proposals to the rebranding of the First Division as the Premier League back in 1992.
Drawing attention to rising player salaries, the former midfielder suggested that wages could be capped in order to support the purchasing of tickets for supporters, though he admitted that such a scenario was unlikely to happen.
While we’d be foolish to entirely overlook the end of the Super League talks, in response to a united outcry from fans, as a victory, Barnes is absolutely correct to point out that fans are still being taken advantage of under the current system in place.
Football as a whole, particularly in the English game, is in desperate need of reform to grant greater say to fans, though such changes will be difficult to bring about given that power is so firmly entrenched in the hands of the clubs’ hierarchies.
You can catch the clip below, courtesy of talkRADIO:
As 6 English clubs pull out of the European Super League, ex footballer John Barnes says it is not a victory for the fans: “The clubs are in this situation because of players' salaries. Will they be capped to help fans buy tickets? I don’t think so."@JuliaHB1 | @officialbarnesy pic.twitter.com/TMW2FH97hS
— TalkTV (@TalkTV) April 21, 2021
Agree with Barnsey wholeheartedly!!!!!