Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says it is important to “look after fans” as his club rejected involvement in the revised European Super League proposal.
Arsenal were one of 12 clubs who joined the original ESL plan in 2021.
On Thursday the European Court of Justice said banning clubs from joining the ESL was unlawful and a revamped league was proposed hours later.
“Football supporters and the passion they bring to games is the reason this game belongs to them,” said Arteta.
“Their opinion is very important and we have to look after them,” he added.
In 2021, 12 teams signed up to the breakaway ESL designed to rival Uefa competitions. However, the project was widely condemned by fans, supporter groups, European domestic leagues, and even governments. This eventually led to the collapse of the proposal within 72 hours.
Of the 12 clubs only Real Madrid and Barcelona have retained their interest in a breakaway league – proposed by A22 – with the rest backing down.
Their statement added to numerous ones issued across the continent from European heavyweights and domestic football leagues.
“We remain in the same position and we love playing in the Champions League and will continue to do so,” said Arteta.
“The conversations [with the owners] that we had were very clear after what happened two years ago. I think the club has issued a statement that is very clear and transparent. We’ll stick to that.”
However, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis welcomed the court’s ruling on the Super League project and said they now need to do “some serious thinking”.
“Today football is administered by elderly people, but above all they are without vision,” De Laurentiis told the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.
Serie A champions Napoli were not one of the 12 clubs involved in the original breakaway league and fellow Italian clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan then Juventus all pulled out.
“Those who have governed up to now as monopolists have not understood that football is a business and needs growing revenues,” said De Laurentiis.
The new proposal is for a league system that would include 64 men’s and 32 women’s teams, with annual promotion and relegation.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said on Friday he was against the idea of a Super League and agreed with Arteta that fans are the most important party in the discussion.
