Prince William made a “personal decision” to express his upset at plans for a European Super League.
The 38-year-old royal – who is President of England’s Football Association – took to Twitter to voice his displeasure at the idea of some of Europe’s biggest soccer teams forming their own breakaway league earlier this week and it’s now been revealed his comments came as a surprise to sports bosses.
According to Telegraph Sport, both UEFA and the Premier League privately expressed their gratitude to William for speaking out, but there had been no input from aides or politicians and his tweet was “just something that he personally wanted to do”.
However, William has been in contact with FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, with the pair speaking on the phone at least once since the prince’s grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, died earlier this month.
William had tweeted: “Now, more than ever, we must protect the entire football community – from the top level to the grassroots – and the values of competition and fairness at its core.
“I share the concerns of fans about the proposed Super League and the damage it risks causing to the game we love. W (sic)”
The controversial plan prompted threats from the Premier League that six of its leading clubs could soon be axed from the competition but the teams – Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal – ultimately pulled out of the Super League proposal and the plans quickly collapsed.
The Aston Villa-supporting prince welcomed the decision by the teams to quit the league.
He said: “I’m glad the united voice of football fans has been heard and listened to.
“It is now really important that we use this moment to secure the future health of the game at all levels. As President of the FA, I’m committed to playing my part in that work.”