Sam Allardyce: Don't forget Super League

Football was rocked last month when Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham announced they were amongst 12 clubs who had signed up the ESL – with AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid also on board.

But players, managers and fans reacted without outrage at the proposal due to the huge impact it would have on English football.

Later this month Chelsea will take on Manchester City in the final of the Champions League.

Manchester United have also made the final of the Europa League where they would have taken on Arsenal if Mikel Arteta's side had beaten Villarreal.

With the ESL appearing to have died, it is no longer dominating the headlines.

But unprompted, Allardyce told a press conference he still can't believe six English clubs tried to breakaway.

He said: "Why on earth would any Premier League football club want to leave this league?

"Why on earth would six Premier League football clubs choose to leave the best league in the world?

"This league has helped them become the best teams in Europe. We could have been looking at all four teams in the European finals being English.

"We have got Chelsea and Manchester City in the Champions League final. We have got Manchester United in the Europa League final and could have had Arsenal as well.

"I mean what more do these clubs want? Why would you want to spoil that?

"That is just a personal point I want to make in this press conference.

"As a football man, the game runs through my veins, I can't believe somebody would try and destroy what we already have."

Greed is widely seen as the reason why the 12 clubs tried to create the super league.

But Allardyce believes the English sides who agreed to join are hugely fortunate the plan didn't truly get off the ground.

"We get more money than anyone else anyway," he added.

"We got more money than Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal. We get billions of pounds anyway.

"We have made the best league in the world. The best players in the world want to come here and the best managers in the world want to come and compete here. It is the best league.

"We are getting to European Cup finals, we are winning them and we are dominating.

"The Premier League is very competitive. The bottom team can beat the top team, that's one reason why the world wants to watch.

"When the top teams play each other, people all around the world watch that in their billions. I just can't believe six clubs wanted to leave.

"Clubs in Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal. they are so jealous and would love the chance to break up this league.

"And they came far too close to it for my liking."