The European Super League is doing something far worse than just copying US sports

What is the point, asks Chris Stevenson, of taking the worst parts of other competitions and pretending it is a step forward?

The European Super League are taking nothing but the worst elements of competitions like the NFL

(Getty Images)

As the vitriol over the announcement of a potential European Super League involving six of England's biggest football clubs started to flow forth, some were quick to attribute the move to one thing – “an American takeover of football”.

“Unbridled American greed” was another phrase doing the rounds, with the US owners of Manchester United and Liverpool taking the brunt of the criticism.

In the world of American football, former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell once remarked that the NFL is run by “a bunch of fat-cat Republicans who vote socialist on football” with at least a semblance of competitive balance deemed essential to ensuring a profitable league. Therefore, I'm perplexed by certain aspects of the complaints over the US-like elements of the new Super League.