Premier League hand down slap on the wrist for Super League Six, and a few threats

After all the posturing and moral grandstanding, the Premier League’s fines for the six clubs involved in the Super League fiasco earlier this year amount to little more than spare change. In fact, they’re technically not even fines, but rather a “collective contribution” of £22m to go towards “the good of the game” (i.e. grassroots, fans support, community involvement). Good job choosing a number not divisible by six!

And of course everyone’s very sorry and blah blah blah. (Well, except Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus, who are continuing their fight against UEFA, but that’s another story.)

Even if they wanted to bite the hands that feed, the Premier League’s own hands were tied for any actual punishment, since none of the clubs actually broke any rules — and the proposed Super League would not involve the Premier League in any way, save for the lack of a top-four race (though in most years, like this season, that’s the only exciting bit left at the end).

So the most significant final outcome is perhaps the adopted rule change that any similar actions in the future would result in a £25m fine per club, as well as a 30-point deduction. (Though whether that would actual deter a similar attempt, which is surely inevitable, is debatable, especially when there are literally hundreds of millions of guaranteed money on the line.)

Anyway, hurray for the status quo. Until next time (when perhaps it’ll be the Champions League themselves making their own Super League-esque ambitions more over).