BEFORE THE GAME: Lyon, Marseille and RB Leipzig have all been offered European Super League places

Lyon, Marseille and Red Bull Leipzig have been approached to join the now defunct European Super League following refusals from Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Tournament organizers were eager to sign 15 founding clubs ahead of the disastrous launch.

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli said last week that several other clubs were desperate to join, but it was the ESL board that drove the race in terms of recruiting, although he made no further formal offers in the hopes that both PSG and Bayern would eventually sign up.

RB Leipzig were also offered a spot after Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and PSG said no

Lyon would have been a strategically savvy addition as the French club dominate European women’s football, having won the last five Champions League titles, but President Jean-Michel Aulas trashed the project, claiming that it was ‘against the spirit of fair play’.

Buck Scudamore’s decision backfires

Bruce Buck’s determination to have Richard Scudamore retained by the Premier League as a consultant, after his departure as executive chairman, came back to haunt him, along with the good friends of opposing teams during the Super League cuts of this week.

The Chelsea president was behind the controversial £ 250,000 round to which all 20 clubs were asked to contribute as a leaving gift two years ago.

Bruce Buck’s decision to keep Richard Scudamore in the Premier League world backfired

After considerable opposition from some clubs it was justified as a down payment for future services, lending a heavy irony to the fact that Scudamore was then brought back by the Premier League to help thwart the breakaway.

Scudamore’s weariness of having to grapple with the almost constant intrigue of the Big Six was a major factor in his sudden exit, as he was convinced that the Premier League’s collective approach to television contracts and fair revenue sharing was its greatest strength.

The 61-year-old will have been very satisfied with the humiliating retirement of the rebels.

McLaren ready for Derby exit

Steve McClaren is expected to step down as technical director at Derby if Erik Alonso’s takeover plan is ratified by the EFL.

The former England manager was brought back to the club he twice managed by owner Mel Morris last November, but Alonso is eager to bring in his own staff and has started looking for alternatives to McClaren .

Steve McLaren to be let go by Derby County if Erik Alonso’s takeover goes through

Morris announced the Derby sale to Alonso’s No Limits Sports Limited earlier this month, but it has yet to be approved by the EFL, which is investigating the Spaniard’s source of funding.

BT Sport takes a stand against racism

BT Sport is launching an anti-racism initiative called Draw The Line, which aims to tackle social media abuse directed at gamers and pundits.

They’ve beefed up their social media team and will encourage presenters to report, block, and remove any abusive content they receive.

The campaign was slated to launch this weekend, but was postponed for seven days so BT pundits could discuss the fallout from the ESL debacle in detail without overshadowing Draw The Line.

BT Sport launches anti-racism social media initiative called ‘Draw The Line’

Write on the wall to read

Reading is accused of breaking EFL spending rules if they are not promoted to the Premier League this season.

The club reported operating losses of £ 43.5million for the year ending June 2020 last week after losing £ 40.7million the previous year, and with the full impact of the pandemic which is not yet reflected in the accounts, there is little chance for their financial situation. position having improved this season.

EFL rules state that losses are to be capped at £ 39million over three seasons.