‘The real fight begins now’ – a statement from Football Supporters Europe

Following the collapse of the European Super League, Football Supporters Europe, the pan-European body which represents football supporters across the continent and of which the FSA is a member, have released this statement:

The past few days have been encouraging and dispiriting in equal measure.

On the one hand, we have witnessed the overwhelming effectiveness of collective action and solidarity, which, it turns out, are more than a match for the wealth of oligarchs.

On the other, the unsustainable nature of modern football—its lack of oversight, widespread inequality, and rampant greed—has been laid bare for all to see.

Unlike the franchise league, these problems will not disappear overnight. FSE is therefore committed to maintaining pressure on European and domestic football governing bodies to ensure that recent events bring about positive, lasting change.

Most urgently, we will continue to challenge plans to expand the UEFA Champions League, with a particular focus on the number of games, access list, and revenue distribution.

Beyond this, we will work with other stakeholders to push for meaningful reform of the game’s governance structures. We fully expect national governments and European institutions to honour their commitments to protect fans, clubs, and football as a whole.

To avoid a repetition of this week’s debacle, fans’ representatives must be involved in decision-making processes and club cartels must be prevented from acting with impunity.

We demand stronger regulation. We demand immediate action to safeguard our clubs and communities. And we demand this never happens again.

The real fight begins now.

For a more comprehensive overview of FSE’s thinking on UEFA club competitions reform and the franchise league, read their position paper.