Joel Glazer breaks ESL silence in open letter to Man United fans | OneFootball

Manchester United owner Joel Glazer has broken his silence on the failed plans to break away and form a new European Super League (ESL).

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The news, which first broke on Sunday evening, was that 12 top European clubs, including six from the Premier League, were looking to form their own exclusive league.

The reaction from the media, fans and other high profile members of the industry, as well as Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was unprecedented.

Protests broke out at more or less every ground around the country with virtually every footballing strongly opposed to the proposals.

Manchester United, alongside Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, were all at the forefront of the ESL’s plans.

The reaction and outrage were so strong that the plans eventually and suddenly came crashing down on Tuesday night.

Now, for the first time, since either side of the bombshell news broke, Glazer has broken his silence and penned an open letter addressing fans.

The statement, which can be found on the club’s official website, reads: “To all Manchester United supporters,

Over the past few days, we have all witnessed the great passion which football generates, and the deep loyalty our fans have for this great club. You made very clear your opposition to the European Super League, and we have listened. We got it wrong, and we want to show that we can put things right.

Although the wounds are raw and I understand that it will take time for the scars to heal, I am personally committed to rebuilding trust with our fans and learning from the message you delivered with such conviction.

We continue to believe that European football needs to become more sustainable throughout the pyramid for the long-term. However, we fully accept that the Super League was not the right way to go about it.

In seeking to create a more stable foundation for the game, we failed to show enough respect for its deep-rooted traditions –promotion, relegation, the pyramid – and for that we are sorry.

This is the world’s greatest football club and we apologise unreservedly for the unrest caused during these past few days.

It is important for us to put that right.

Manchester United has a rich heritage and we recognise our responsibility to live up to its great traditions and values.

The pandemic has thrown up so many unique challenges and we are proud of the way Manchester United and its fans from Manchester and around the world have reacted to the enormous pressures during this period.

We also realise that we need to better communicate with you, our fans, because you will always be at the heart of the club.

In the background, you can be sure that we will be taking the necessary steps to rebuild relationships with other stakeholders across the game, with a view to working together on solutions to the long-term challenges facing the football pyramid.

Right now, our priority is to continue to support all of our teams as they push for the strongest possible finish to the season.

In closing, I would like to recognise that it is your support which makes this club so great, and we thank you for that.

With best regards,

Joel Glazer”