How the controversial Super League could possibly stop a Sheffield Wednesday relegation

At this point in time it’s wildly speculative to discuss what might happen if this breakaway league goes ahead, but the initial suggestions from other governing bodies are that those involved will be banned from partaking in domestic competitions – meaning six free spaces in the Premier League.

In total, 12 of the European ‘elite’ have signed up for the tournament, and the six English clubs are Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Should all of them follow through, then they’d be banned from not only the English league, but also participation in the Champions League.

As part of a statement released by UEFA in conjunction with the FA and the Premier League – amongst others – spoke of their course of action, saying, “As previously announced by FIFA and the six Confederations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.”

What could this mean for Sheffield Wednesday? We don’t really know yet.

But, the Premier League would need to keep the format the same given the TV deals in place etc. and the plan could potentially to be to cancel relegation, promote six Championship teams and then adjust the other leagues accordingly.

If that was the case then you might see relegation halted across the entirety of the English football pyramid and effectively everybody just bumped up six places. If that were to happen, then Wednesday’s Championship status would be secured for at least another season.

It’s important to point out that nothing is set in stone at the moment. The Super League might not happen, and even if it does then the repercussions of it all are far from clear – nobody knows just yet how it will all play out.

FIFA are opposed, UEFA are opposed, and there are no French or German teams involved at this stage, so it could all come down to whether the breakaway clubs want to risk the consequences and whether the threats against them are empty or not.

Despite their strong statements, you’d think it was unlikely that the golden geese of English football would be booted out of the league given the huge role that they play in England’s own money-making machine, and maybe it’ll come down to points docking and/or fines, but that remains to be seen.

There’s also been no indication as to when this Super League could start. Their statement last night said it would begin ‘as soon as practicable’, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s immediately in the works for next season.

So from a Wednesday perspective, they could be in League One already before it’s even really up for discussion – it’s certainly some food for thought though.

Every club in football has a reason to watch this situation carefully, the knock-on effects could be huge.

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