Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, one of the architects of the Super League, has acknowledged that the breakaway competition can no longer go ahead after the withdrawal of six English clubs.
The Premier League representatives made up half of the breakaway league, which promised a closed shop free of relegation for 15 founding members and was met with an immediate backlash throughout European football. As Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham announced their withdrawal last night the Super League said in a statement that it would "reconsider the most appropriate steps to shape the project". However it stopped short of confirming its plans were at an end.
Since then further clubs have departed with Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan both withdrawing from the competition early on Wednesday.
Agnelli, who was named one of the competition's vice-presidents when it was announced on Sunday, insisted that he still believes in the "beauty" of the proposal but conceded what has been apparent since news first broke of Chelsea's exit on Tuesday.
"To be frank and honest no, evidently that is not the case," Agnelli told Reuters when asked whether the competition would still go ahead.
"I remain convinced of the beauty of that project, of the value it would have developed to the pyramid, of the creation of the best competition in the world. But admittedly I don't think that project is now still up and running."
Just four clubs remain of the 12 that initially broke away: Agnelli's Juventus, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Sources at Milan confirmed to CBS Sports that they have prepared a statement that will imminently confirm that they are also leaving the Super League.
