Arsenal players have been in talks with the club’s hierarchy about the controversial plans for the new European Super League.
It was confirmed on Sunday evening that the Gunners had signed up to be one of the 12 founding members of the breakaway league, which could get underway as early as the 2022-23 season.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said he was unaware of the plan when quizzed about it following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham, while players - who have been threatened with being banned from playing for their national teams - are also understood to have been left in the dark up to now.
What is happening at London Colney?
Arsenal players have been in meetings with the club’s hierarchy at London Colney.
Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who has stepped down from his role on the board of the European Clubs' Association, is leading the discussions and explaining why the club believe being a part of the Super League is the best way forward.
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Venkatesham is aware that the players, who did not know about the plan prior to Sunday’s game, have concerns and will be answering their questions on the current state of play on issues such as them potentially being barred by UEFA from competing with their national teams.
Will Stan Kroenke be there?
No. Arsenal’s billionaire owner is still in the United States and is not due to fly over.
It has been reported that the 73-year-old had been appointed as a vice-chairman of the Super League, but Goal has been told that is not the case.
Kroenke will have a place on the board of the new league, however, along with owners of each of the other 11 founder members.
Why are Arsenal involved?
The 12 founder clubs feel that spending controls within European football, such as Financial Fair Play regulations, have not worked and that the financial reality of that has been brought to a head by the coronavirus pandemic, with the big clubs losing billions of pounds combined.
They feel that the Super League would bring financial stability to the game once again and that that big clubs need to be financially stable for the rest of the pyramid to work.
The clubs involved estimate they will be distributing three times the amount of money into the European pyramid (€10 billion over 23 years) compared to the current amount that filters down.