PARIS • English Premier League clubs involved in the aborted Super League project will escape Champions League bans, with Uefa announcing sanctions on Friday.
Nine of the 12 clubs behind the breakaway plot - including Champions League finalists Manchester City and Chelsea - will face financial punishments after they "apologised" and acknowledged making "a mistake".
European football's governing body said that "in a spirit of reconciliation" the nine clubs - the others being Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan - had agreed to a "Club Commitment Declaration" and accepted a 5 per cent cut in their European revenue for one season.
The clubs also accepted that they would face a €100 million (S$161 million) fine if they seek to play in an unauthorised competition or a €50 million fine if they breach any other commitment they have entered into in the declaration.
However, three clubs, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus, did not sign the declaration.
The trio yesterday denounced the "intolerable" pressure put on them by Uefa to drop the project.
"The founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats, and offences to abandon the project," they said in a joint statement.
Uefa said it "reserved all rights to take whatever action (we) deem appropriate against those clubs that have... refused to renounce the so-called 'Super League'."
"The matter will promptly be referred to the competent Uefa disciplinary bodies," the statement concluded.
Some media have reported that Uefa is contemplating a two-year ban from European competition for the three holdouts, the maximum its rules allow. But options are clouded by a ruling from a commercial court in Madrid on April 20.
It banned Uefa and the sport's world governing body Fifa from making any moves to block a Super League or taking any disciplinary measures against the clubs, players or officials involved.
The nine clubs that opted out have agreed to a series of "reintegration measures".
"These clubs recognised their mistakes quickly and have taken action to demonstrate their contrition and future commitment to European football," said Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin.
"The same cannot be said for the clubs that remain involved in the so-called 'Super League' and Uefa will deal with those clubs subsequently."
The nine have agreed to forgo 5 per cent of their revenue from Uefa competitions for one season and pay, between them, a €15 million donation to support grassroots and youth football in Europe.
A spokesman for Manchester United confirmed their owners the Glazer family, would cover the club's share of both sums.
"It takes a strong organisation to admit making a mistake especially in these days of trial by social media. These clubs have done just that," said Ceferin.
"In accepting their commitments and willingness to repair the disruption they caused, Uefa wants to put this chapter behind it and move forward in a positive spirit."
The Football Association said in a statement that it was "delighted" that the six English clubs had committed to Uefa's competitions and suggested that it too might punish the clubs. "The FA has an ongoing inquiry into the involvement of the six English clubs and we have formally requested all relevant information and evidence regarding their participation," the statement.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
