Big Six fuming with Premier League chief Richard Masters for not pushing case on five subs
PREM chief executive Richard Masters angered the Big Six by failing to back calls for another vote on five substitutes.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola led the weekend assault on the issue.
The Big Six accuse Masters of letting them down by not pushing their case ahead of September’s second lost vote.
But in his appearance before MPs, Masters appeared to come down against the idea, with Big Six sources describing his stance as “disappointing”.
Masters said: “There is an argument that five substitutes changes the competitive balance of a football match.
“We’ve had two votes on it at club level and both have been conclusively supportive of returning to three subs.
“I don’t see that changing for the foreseeable future. It’s been voted on twice.”
CHANGES AFOOT
PROJECT Big Picture was announced as dead and buried last month.
But MPs were given a very different impression as Premier League chief Richard Masters admitted “change is coming” — and promised a decision by spring.
In a victory for Liverpool and Manchester United, Masters confirmed all aspects of potential structural change will be on the table in his promised “strategic review”.
That includes an 18-club league, scrapping the League Cup, changes in TV revenue distribution and a different voting mechanism.
Masters said: “Change is coming. There has never been a stronger need for a clear plan for the whole of domestic football.
“We are hoping we will complete our project by the end of March.”
LEFT IT A LOAN
GREG CLARKE’S race, sex and gay rights blunder left him damaged goods.
But the now former Wembley chairman also revealed he was warned the FA’s existence might be on the line if one proposed Covid measure was taken on.
Clarke told MPs the FA had considered being the guarantor for a proposed £50million EFL loan from the Government.
He said: “We looked to raise an extra £50m to donate to the pyramid but couldn’t get the covenants in place.
“Then we looked to see if we could guarantee the EFL loan — but if they had defaulted there was a high chance it would have resulted in FA insolvency. We couldn’t put our funding of the entire pyramid and our ownership of Wembley at risk.”
GLOBAL PARIAHS
ANY players whose club joined a prospective European Super League will become global pariahs, a Select Committee was told.
Before quitting the FA, Greg Clarke (right) explained: “Any European Super League needs approval from three bodies — Fifa, Uefa and the FA.
“Our job is to protect football, not create some sort of global elite. If you joined an outside concept you can’t play for England and can’t play in the Champions League.”
HUGE GAMBLE
BANNING gambling sponsorship would have a potentially “catastrophic” effect on cash-strapped EFL clubs.
The Government is considering a ban and also curtailing advertising by bookies but EFL chairman Rick Parry said: “It is worth somewhere north of £40million for the EFL and our clubs.
“If a ban came in overnight, on the back of everything else, it would be potentially catastrophic.
“If it came in quickly it would still create major difficulties, and if it were phased in over time then clubs would have to find a way of adapting but there would be major problems.”