Premier League Bosses React to Project Big Picture Rejection

 

Mikel Arteta thinks the Premier League has an obligation to protect lower-league clubs as he reacted to the rejection of Project Big Picture.

It was announced on Wednesday that the division's clubs had unanimously agreed the controversial project would not be endorsed or pursued by the Premier League, with the same applying to the Football Association.

The revolutionary proposals would have given greater power to the division's so-called 'big-six' sides, but Arteta has called for a greater focus on clubs trying to help each other.

"It was a very clear statement from the Premier League on what is going to happen," the Arsenal manager said.

"We all have to review the context and how we can help each other and make football more sustainable.

"It has to be agreed by everybody and yesterday's statement was very clear regarding that.

"It's very special the way the Premier League has conducted over the years compared to other leagues in Europe. That's a massive strength. If we can maintain that unity and sustain our way of doing things that's very valuable and the image we project to the outside world is really, really strong."

Burnley boss Sean Dyche has stressed power should be shared across the Premier League, with a greater emphasis on every club in the division having an equal say.

Dyche said: "What seems to be the narrative is the top six having most of the decision-making power.

"If you are talking about looking after everyone in the lower leagues, in theory, to look after the Premier League, you share that power.

"So therefore, in possible terms, they should say OK, we want to look after them but we are going to share that power across the league simply because everyone has earned the right to be in the Premier League. We deserve to be there, we've proved that, it's an ongoing challenge but we are there.

"So I think it's fair that everyone should have a say and have agreed moments of who gets what for what reason. And if that can work in the bigger picture - obviously it hasn't worked in this case - then I'm sure everyone will be willing to play their part."

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl believes Project Big Picture would have made the Premier League "boring" and prevented a repeat of Leicester's shock 2016 title triumph.

The Austrian feels the plans were short-sighted and would have detracted from the entertainment and unpredictability of English football.

He also feared they threatened to severely limit the number of potential champions, referencing Bayern Munich's domination of the Bundesliga and Juventus' stranglehold on Serie A, as well as the thrilling 2015-16 season when Claudio Ranieri's Foxes defied odds of 5,000-1 to finish top.

"I am not really surprised [about the rejection of the plans] because when you hear the rumours around the fans and everybody, you could feel immediately that there is not a big support for this idea," he said.

"I think it's short thinking because maybe you get immediately a little bit more money or a better advantage for yourself.

"But in the end it ends up in a league that maybe has one champion for the next nine years like in Germany or in Italy. For me, it's boring, to be honest.

"What I like so much about the Premier League is that we have every two, three years a new champion. 'A Leicester' will never be possible with these changes.

"I am very happy that they have seen it is better to stick with what we have done here so far in England because it's not a coincidence that it is the most famous and the most popular league in the world.

"The reason why the Premier League is so famous is because it's the most competitive in the world - a 7-2 result from (Aston) Villa against Liverpool is what makes this league so interesting. This is what nobody wants to miss."