'Wall of No' from EPL clubs scuppers the ESL plans

News of the European Super League's resurrection unsurprisingly dominated the front pages across Europe on Friday - but they were split over whether the project is good or evil.

After the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg decided UEFA and FIFA had 'abused a dominant position' by threatening the original 12 clubs who tried to break away in 2021, the Super League organisers wasted no time in unveiling version 2.0 of their project.

A22 declared 'the UEFA monopoly is over, football is free' and then outlined proposals for a men's competition of 64 top European teams split across three divisions designed to destroy UEFA's Champions League.

The participants were 'guaranteed revenues' and solidarity payments, while fans were told every match would be on a free digital streaming platform.

But by the end of the day, it was apparent only the Spanish big two, Barcelona and Real Madrid, remained emphatically in favour of the Super League.

Premier League clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea all released statements reaffirming their commitment to UEFA competitions and the Premier League.

The newspapers close to Barcelona and Real swung behind the revived Super League idea on Friday.

'Super League - Yes' ran the headline on Barcelona-based Mundo Deportivo's front page, showing Barca president Joan Laporta and his Real counterpart Florentino Perez giving the thumbs up.

The sub-headings give a big play to the 'UEFA abused their dominant position' segment of the ECJ's judgement.

Diario Sport also pictured the two presidents, warmly shaking hands and proclaimed: 'They change history'.

They said Laporta and Perez 'celebrated the decision which could lead to a giant revolution in European football.'

Madrid-based AS went with 'Super League OK: The pulse goes on' and pictured a smug-looking Perez alongside a frustrated UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

Marca's front page was rather plainer, focusing on the reaction - positive and negative - under the headline: 'Justice agrees with the Super League, but football does not support that model.'

But away from Barcelona and Madrid, there was firm opposition and anger at the resurrection of the Super League.

The Valencia-based paper Super Deporte's front page screamed 'Less Perez and Company - No to the Super League' with pictures of Valencia fans incorporated into the huge 'No'.

They made a point of saying only Real and Barcelona remained in support of the plans.

It was also front page news in France with L'Equipe describing 'Super confusion' over what happens next to the landscape of European football.

Picturing Laporta and Perez, as well as Ceferin and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, they explains how Barca and Real celebrated a legal victory over UEFA, only for most other big European clubs to turn their heads away.

PSG, who weren't part of the original rebel dozen in 2021, issued a statement saying they 'categorically rejected any and all plans for the so-called Super League.'

In Italy, where Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan tried to break away before, Tuttosport's headline was 'everyone is free'.

They pictured the banned former Juventus chief Andrea Agnelli, one of the biggest supporters of the original plans, as well as Ceferin and Perez.

Agnelli responded to Thursday's news by tweeting the lyrics of U2 song 'Where the Streets Have no Name.'

Gazzetta dello Sport, who led with a picture of Manchester City's Erling Haaland lifting the European Cup last season, described 'a wall of no' in reflecting the opposition to A22's new plans.

Corriere dello Sport went for the more poetic 'The Christmas bang' as they reflected the news which could pave the way - or more likely not - to a revolution in European football.