Non-league club AFC Bridgnorth were left delighted after plans to form a breakaway European Super League were scrapped.
The reaction from the West Midlands Premier League side comes as all six English clubs announced their withdrawal from the breakaway league.
The European Super League was a proposed annual club competition, separate to all other existing domestic leagues. The ESL was originally formed by Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez.
A spokesman for AFC Bridgnorth said: ‘’We are very happy about the disbandment of the Super League as it could have caused huge threats for the future of grassroots football. We hope all who initially said yes to this shocking idea are punished.’’
The non-league side also went on to make it clear that football needs to be changed from the top, all the way down to grassroots level.
AFC Bridgnorth added: ‘’Hopefully we can restart football at the highest level, in doing so, we hope to see more help and support for local sides like ourselves across the country.’’
The ‘big six’ declared their respective withdrawals from the European Super League, only three days after original plans to form the league were announced. Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez is still pioneering for a breakaway league, however. He said: ‘’We are going to keep working and what everyone thinks is for the best will emerge, the project is on standby.’’
The six English clubs that withdrew from the Super League have been fined £22 million in total. Any attempts to form another breakaway league will lead to a further £20 million fine and a 30-point deduction.