Arsene Wenger has further aired his surprise at seeing six English sides agree to controversial Super League plans, with the former Arsenal boss claiming "everybody dreams of destroying the Premier League in Europe".
A divisive project that had been in the pipeline for some time faced a flood of criticism when it was finally announced, with those at the centre of talks forced to rip plans up inside 48 hours.
Wenger, who is now FIFA's head of global development, says a concept that attracted little support was always doomed to fail, with the biggest shock being that so many elite teams were prepared to tarnish their reputation in the eyes of supporters and the wider sporting world.
What has been said?
Wenger has told The Telegraph: "It was born dead. From the start, I couldn't believe it would work.
"The most surprising in all that was the English behaviour. Everybody dreams of destroying the Premier League in Europe. In England we do it ourselves.
"I can't understand the rationality behind that because England voted for Brexit and now they want to bring a Super League. England has the strongest league. The Super League would destroy, 100 per cent, the Premier League.
"The basis of our sporting culture in Europe is to have access through your performances to top-level competition.
"I don't understand how anybody could believe that capping the link between the domestic league and access to the top league would pass and would be accepted by the fans.
"The rest is how amateurish all that looked in the presentation, in the preparation. You worry quite a lot how our top clubs are managed. It looked to be a quick fix for the financial problems that these clubs have."
Response to Super League proposal
The backlash to a project led by 12 sides - including Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City - faced fierce criticism from the moment it was unveiled.
Club owners that committed to the proposal have faced protests against their ongoing presence in prominent roles, with fans at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and Emirates Stadium taking action.
A number of players have also spoken out in opposition to the Super League, with many taking similar action in other battles on and off the field, with Wenger pleased to see celebrity status being put to good use.
The Frenchman added: "I am very proud of the responsibilities the players have taken in this case.
"It shows there is a huge evolution - we have seen since the start of the season in England that the players now are part of the political impact in society and rightly so. I am very proud of that evolution."
Further reading
- Kroenke Out? Arsenal fans declare war on billionaire owner
- Spotify founder Daniel Ek expresses interest in buying Arsenal
- 'Worse than snakes' - Karren Brady reveals fury at Super League six