Premier League Chairman Accused Man United And Liverpool

 

 

The tone for Wednesday’s crunch Premier League meeting was set from the off by chairman Gary Hoffman.

One source, at a club outside the large Six, said: ‘Hoffman started by telling them that this (Project Big Picture) wasn’t acceptable which this had to prevent. He said it had been not ok and it had been then alleged that it seemed like this was a staged leak, which came out at the weekend intentionally to undertake and catch everyone off guard.’

The source added that it had been made clear to the clubs driving the plan — Manchester United and Liverpool — that a number of their rivals felt blindsided by what had transpired.

‘There was clear animosity at the start,’ the source added.

But the tense meeting wasn’t without a flash of hilarity. In explaining their actions, those involved in Project Big Picture claimed to those on the decision that they didn’t share the knowledge because it had been ‘not mature’, suggesting it had been in its early stages.

Not long then spurious claim, a bit of paper outlining the proposals emerged with ‘draft 17’ written on the highest of it. ‘Some people started laughing once they saw that,’ the source added. ‘You couldn’t make it up.’

Those involved also strongly denied that it had been they who leaked the document.