Herrera slams Super League in Twitter rant
Ander Herrera has spoken out against the planned creation of a European Super League, describing clubs involved as "the rich stealing what the people created".
In a strongly worded post on Twitter, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder expressed how it was pivotal in football for all clubs to be able to retain the dream of competing at the highest level.
The 'big six' from the Premier League have combined with Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid from LaLiga, plus Serie A clubs Inter, Juventus and Milan, to propose the introduction of a breakaway competition to rival UEFA's Champions League model.
The proposal sees those 12 clubs joined by eight more to play in two leagues across a span of midweek fixtures, followed by a two-legged knockout format to decide the eventual winners.
Those founding members – it is expected that number could eventually rise to 15 – will qualify each season regardless of their domestic league position, much to Herrera's disappointment.
"I fell in love with popular football, with the football of the fans, with the dream of seeing the team of my heart compete against the greatest," Herrera wrote.
"If this European Super League advances, those dreams are over, the illusions of the fans of the teams that are not giants of being able to win on the field competing in the best competitions will end.
"I love football and I cannot remain silent about this, I believe in an improved Champions League, but not in the rich stealing what the people created, which is nothing other than the most beautiful sport on the planet."
PSG, along with 2019-20 Champions League winners Bayern Munich, have not signed up to be involved in the Super League.
Herrera moved to the French capital after five years with Manchester United, having helped the Red Devils win the Europa League in 2017. He also featured for his current employers in last season's Champions League final, while PSG are through to the last four this term.
Mesut Ozil also made clear his disapproval of the introduction of a Super League, a competition he believes will dilute the excitement surrounding European heavyweights going up against each other.
"Kids grow up dreaming to win the World Cup and the Champions League - not any Super League," Ozil posted on Twitter, along with a broken heart emoji.
"The enjoyment of big games is that they only happen once or twice a year, not every week. Really hard to understand for all football fans out there."
