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sports Diahuebs 22 aPRiL 2021

Atlético, Inter, AC Milan, Juventus drop out of Super League

MADRID (AP) — Atlé- Atlético fans had been ex-
tico Madrid, Inter Milan, pected to stage a protest be-
AC Milan and Juventus fore the home match against
all dropped out of the Su- Huesca in the Spanish league
per League on Wednesday, on Thursday. Widespread
leaving the new competi- protests by fans in England
tion essentially extinct be- played a big part in the deci-
fore it even started. sion by the Premier League
clubs to leave the new com-
Only Spanish clubs Real Ma- petition.
drid and Barcelona are still
officially involved. "I knew the club would make
the right decision and that's
The moves by Atlético, Inter, what happened," Atlético
AC Milan and Juventus came coach Diego Simeone said.
a day after the six Premier "This is good for everyone."
League clubs involved in the
project made it unviable by Inter said the club was com-
giving up on the controver- "Football belongs to the preliminary ruling stopping the club said. "Juventus re- mitted to delivering the best
sial breakaway competition. fans. Today more than ever," UEFA, FIFA and its mem- mains committed to pursu- soccer experience for fans
he wrote on Twitter early bers from acting against the ing the creation of long-term because "innovation and in-
English clubs Arsenal, Chel- Wednesday. creation of the new league. value for the Company and clusion have been part of our
sea, Liverpool, Manchester the entire football industry." DNA since our foundation."
United, Manchester City Barcelona coach Ronald Koe- AC Milan signaled it was
and Tottenham deserted man avoided the subject but leaving a few hours after Atlé- Atlético said its decision was "Our commitment with all
plans for the largely-closed said he "agreed with" Piqué's tico and Inter Milan made made after the board of direc- stakeholders to improve the
competition amid an escalat- tweet. their announcements. tors met on Wednesday. football industry will never
ing backlash from their sup- change," the Italian club said.
porters and warnings from Barcelona's presence in the "The voices and the concerns The Spanish club said it "de- "Inter believe that football,
the government that legisla- new league was always condi- of fans around the world cided to formally communi- like any sector of activity,
tion could be introduced to tioned on a vote by its general have clearly been expressed cate the Super League and the must have an interest in con-
thwart them. assembly. about the Super League, and rest of the founding clubs its stantly improving its compe-
AC Milan must be sensitive decision not to formalize its titions in order to continue to
The Super League project The Spanish league planned to the voice of those who participation in the project." excite fans of all ages all over
was overseen by Real Madrid to continue its campaign love this wonderful sport," the world, within a frame-
president Florentino Pérez, against the Super League the Italian club said. Atlético said the "circum- work of financial sustainabil-
who promoted it as a way to with various actions and stances" that allowed it to join ity."
"save soccer" and the clubs messages during matches on Juventus followed moments the new league on Monday
struggling financially amid Wednesday and Thursday. later, but didn't completely "no longer existed today." The Super League was in-
the coronavirus pandemic. Defending league champion abandon plans for a future tended to be a 20-team com-
Madrid was playing at Cádiz Super League. "For the club, harmony is es- petition with 15 founding
Neither Madrid nor Barce- later Wednesday. sential for everyone involved members guaranteed a spot
lona commented after the "While Juventus remains in the Red and White family, every season and five other
rest of the clubs abandoned On Monday, UEFA threat- convinced of the soundness especially our fans," it said. teams rotating in and out.
the project. There was some ened to ban players from of the project's sport, com- "The first team squad and The lack of relegation for the
internal pressure on the Cat- the participating teams from mercial and legal premises, it its coach showed satisfac- founding members raised
alan club, however, after out- playing in this year's Euro- believes that at present there tion with the club's decision, concerns about the conse-
spoken captain Gerard Piqué pean Championship and are limited chances that the understanding that sporting quences for smaller clubs in
made his view clear. next year's World Cup. But project be completed in the merits must prevail over any the domestic leagues around
a Madrid court later issued a form originally conceived," other criteria." the continent.

Alaphilippe, Van der Breggen win Flèche Wallonne races

HUY, Belgium (AP) — Ju- ited with the same time and UAE Team Emirates team
lian Alaphilippe earned 40-year-old Alejandro Val- had two positive coronavirus
his third victory in the verde of Spain was third, six tests, even though the team
Flèche Wallonne one-day seconds back. was previously vaccinated.
classic on Wednesday,
overtaking Spanish Vuelta Alaphilippe wagged his finger In the women's race, world
champion Primoz Roglič and smiled after edging the champion Anna van der
on the final ascent to the Slovenian at the finish of the Breggen won for the seventh
finish line. 85th edition of the race. straight time by outclimbing
Kasia Niewiadoma on the fi-
Roglič, the Tour de France The peloton swallowed up nal ascent.
runner-up, attacked up the the last of a breakaway group
grueling Mur de Huy about with only 1.5 kilometers left "I think It was the most dif-
350 meters from the fin- when French rider Maurits ficult one. I'm really happy
ish but couldn't hold off the Lammertink was caught at to finish it off like that," the
28-year-old Frenchman, who the bottom of the Mur de 31-year-old Dutch rider said.
also won in 2018 and '19. Huy.
Last year's Flèche Wallonne
The Deceuninck-Quick Step Before the race, Tour de was pushed back to Septem-
rider finished the 194-ki- France champion Tadej Poga- ber because of the coronavi-
lometer (120-mile) course car and defending champion rus pandemic.
in 4 hours, 36 minutes, 25 Marc Hirschi were last-min-
seconds. Roglič was cred- ute withdrawals after their