The players of Leeds United wore special shirts protesting the Super League for their match with Liverpool. Apparently, the shirts were approved by the Premier League ahead of the game.
The Shirts Were a Sign of Protest by Leeds Who Opposed the Creation of a European Super League
During the game, Leeds went on the field for a pre-game warm-up wearing shirts that had the slogans “Football Is for the Fans” on the back and “Champions League: Earn It” on the front. Leeds also left their shirts in front of the lockers so Liverpool’s staff members and players could see them. While the game was interesting and finished 1-1, the announcement of the breakaway Super League overshadowed it completely.
Liverpool and Five More Premier League Clubs Have Agreed to Join the Super League
The protest shirts were a clear indication that Leeds is against Liverpool’s decision to join the Super League. The shirts themselves were brought to the attention of Premier League officials by Leeds and before the game, and the team was granted approval to use them. The fourteen Premier League clubs who haven’t been involved in the creation of the Super League will meet to discuss their response to the recently announced breakaway proposals.
Notifying the Premier League in such a manner is actually according to its own guidelines. According to those, the club must make it clear if they intend to wear unique pre-game shirts before the kick-off. The response from the 13 clubs who also haven’t declared that they want to join the Super League was very positive, and some expect that this type of branding could be adopted by others as well. Still, the Premier League gives approvals for such decisions on a case-by-case basis, which means that each club will have to make them aware of their plans before every game.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp shared his thoughts on the shirts in an interview before the match, but it appeared that he was misinterpreting their meaning. Other protests also occurred during the game as fans of both Leeds and other clubs protested outside Elland Road and burned a Liverpool shirt. At some point, a plane appeared and flew over the stadium to display an anti-Super League message.