Gary Neville has outlined why he believes the Premier League’s significant foreign investment has been good for English football.
On Tuesday, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich stated his intention to sell the capital club after 19 years at the helm.
The Russian arguably sparked the trend for overseas investors to try and make their mark on the English game before becoming embroiled in the invasion of Ukraine instigated by Vladimir Putin.
Neville said the “alleged links between Abramovich and Putin”, which the Chelsea owner has denied, caused problems for the club but should not lead to Abramovich being kicked out of English football.
The Premier League, he said when speaking before the announcement, had benefited nonetheless from the Russian’s involvement.
“[Abramovich] has been an owner of Chelsea now for 20 years and from my point of view I have spoken openly about how I have welcomed the challenge to the historical elite, which was Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal,” Neville told the Financial Times Football Business Summit.
“New money into Chelsea, Blackburn all those years ago when Jack Walker put money in, Leicester City winning the league, Manchester City and the Abu Dhabi wealth, I do believe we are a stronger league for it, more competitive and admired all around the world.”
Neville also believes the idea of a European Super League - which spectacularly failed to get off the ground last April - will make a comeback among English clubs unless the game has an independent regulator.
“I don't believe the hierarchy in elite football that exists is going to go away," he added. "They want more money, they're in it to create more wealth for themselves.
“They've not really got a great interest in the wider game beyond their own clubs. Tracey Crouch has done a fantastic fan-led review, it's a great report, it now needs to move through legislation in Parliament.
“If it does then I will finally believe that the European Super League is dead. Until that point, I don't believe the European Super League is dead, I believe it will come back a rehashed, reworked, with a cherry on it this time.”
