The EFL has defended public support for Project Big Picture, claiming the proposals will help “protect the game in both the short and long term”.
The plans drawn up by Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group include a number of aid measures to support EFL clubs, including a £250m grant as well as a commitment to invest 25% of the Premier League’s annual revenue into the future. is also included.
EFL clubs desperately need funding / Catherine Ivel/Getty Images
These support measures come at the cost of the ‘Big Six’ gaining huge voting rights which can be used to shape the direction of English football going forward.
The plans were publicly backed by EFL chairman Rick Perry, a move that has since been criticized by the Premier League. The EFL has now responded itself, with Perry again throwing his weight behind the proposals.
“The English Football League has today confirmed that it is working with a number of clubs in the Premier League on an innovative proposal entitled ‘Project Big Picture’ which will reshape the economics and governance of the English football pyramid. is trying to regulate and, in the process, protect. the game in both the short and long term,” a statement read.
Perry added: “The need for a complete rethink of the funding of English professional football predates the Covid-19 crisis. Discussions and planning about ‘Project Big Picture’ have been going on for a long time. is, unrelated to the current pandemic but no longer relevant, an urgency that cannot be denied.
“Through this proposed restructuring, our aim is to empower those who need it most when they need it most. It is about building on what is good and overall But making the most of what works well to benefit the game, while simultaneously tackling the issues that concern us all. This is for the future of English football and everyone who loves it. do.”