“This is not a civil war, it’s a nuclear war”
For the owners, 'the wider good of the game is a secondary concern'.
A board member (hid identity) at one of the six Premier League clubs who are breaking away has told Sky Sports News: "There are several board members at the six clubs who are opposed to joining the new league but they feel they do not have the power to stop it."
They said the owners were fully expecting a backlash – "to be honest, they are not that worried about PR".
For the owners, 'the wider good of the game is a secondary concern'.
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The board member said the owners would be secretly delighted about the prospect of their players being banned from the Euros and World Cup – "they don't like giving their playing assets away to countries for very little financial reward".
Companies in the US and Saudi Arabia have been sounded out about buying the broadcast rights to the new league.
When asked if there was a civil war in football now, he said: "This is not a civil war, it's a nuclear war".
The new league is likely to resemble US sports leagues, where there is no promotion or relegation and owners can predict steady yearly profits.
Many of the recent purchasers of big European football clubs already owned teams in the US. The Glazer family bought the American football team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995 for $192m; it is estimated to be worth $1.2bn today.
