Jose Mourinho slams Project Big Picture, says football can't be just for the elite

Premier League action is all set to resume this weekend and Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho is back, delivering a blockbuster press conference. Project Big Picture has dominated Premier League news headlines since the past few days, with Liverpool and Manchester United pushing for a change in the English football structure. However, the proposal has been rejected and largely criticised, and Mourinho made sure to attempt a dig at its perpetrators. 

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Premier League news: Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho slams Project Big Picture 

In his press conference ahead of the clash against West Ham, Jose Mourinho criticised Project Big Picture proposed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In a blunt response, the Portuguese tactician said that Project Big Picture is dead and sarcastically expressed his condolences for those involved. The Tottenham boss added that the Premier League is the best league in the world and the quality of play is certainly high. Mourinho added that while the project was now discarded, he hopes new ideas and proposals come through as they look to become a better league.

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The former Manchester United manager added that a project should benefit everyone and not just the elite, in a scathing review of Project Big Picture. Project Big Picture was a proposal to make massive changes in English football, which was touted to impact all Premier League and EFL clubs.

The plan involves changing the tiers of English football, while also financially helping EFL clubs with a majority losing a chunk of their finances due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposal suggested that the Premier League be converted into an 18-team division, with the 16th-place side heading into the promotion playoffs along with the 3rd, 4th and 5th-placed Championship sides.

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The proposal also suggested the cancellation of the Carabao Cup and the Community Shield, while the Premier League Big Six would hold preferential voting rights. Project Big Picture called for a new nine 'long term shareholders' system, which in its current form would see the traditional ‘Big Six’ and Everton, Southampton and West Ham take all the decisions. The proposal was criticised by the lower league clubs and others in the Premier League citing that the project gave top clubs too much power.  

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(Image Courtesy: Tottenham Hotspur Instagram)