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Chelsea preparing to withdraw from European Super League


Chelsea fans have descended on Stamford Bridge to protest the move (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea have taken the first steps to withdrawing from the European Super League.

The Blues were among the 12 clubs to confirm their plans to join the breakaway competition on Sunday, sparking widespread outrage across the football world.

Ahead of their fixture with Brighton on Tuesday evening, thousands of Chelsea fans swarmed on Stamford Bridge to protest the move.

Club legend and serving technical director Petr Cech emerged from the stadium to plead with supporters to allow the Brighton bus through with the protest effectively shutting down the Fulham Road outside the ground.

BBC Sport now understands that Chelsea are preparing documentation to request officially withdrawing from the European Super League.

Cech attempted to calm fans demanding the club ‘do the right thing’ (Picture: Getty)

Reports also claim Manchester City are also now ready to pull out, having told organisers they no longer want to be part of the £4.6 billion project.

The Premier League’s so-called ‘big six’ – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – all agreed to form a new breakaway competition to rival the Champions League with none of the founding members able to be relegated.

Former Chelsea skipper and club legend John Terry has also joined the campaign, writing on social media on Tuesday afternoon: ‘What has happened to our beautiful game…’

Boris Johnson, meanwhile, at his press briefing, threatened to take legislative action against the six rebel English clubs unless they backed down.

The Super League plans have been almost universally condemned by clubs outside of the 12, with governing bodies, pundits, supporters and now players uniting to try and halt the controversial move.

‘Be in no doubt that we don’t support the creation of this European Super League,’ he said. ‘It is not in the interests of fans, not in the interests of football.

‘How can it be right to have a situation in which you create a kind of cartel that stops clubs competing against each other, playing against each other properly with all the hope and excitement that gives to fans up and down the country?

‘I think it offends against the basic principles of competition and if necessary in order to protect that principle of competition we will seek, as I said to those bodies earlier on, a legislative solution but we hope they can find a way forwards themselves.’


MORE : Petr Cech confronts protesting Chelsea fans ahead of Brighton clash


MORE : Chelsea legend John Terry criticises European Super League after Blues sign up

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