JOHN KENNEDY has branded the 12 clubs involved in the European Super League as ‘greedy’ as he outlined his anger at plans to shut clubs like Celtic out of elite European competition.

The proposed ESL looked to be on the brink of collapse last night as Manchester City formally withdrew, with Chelsea set to follow and the Liverpool players going public with their own disgust over the plans.

Kennedy says that by shutting out big clubs from smaller nations like Scotland, the ESL would have gone against the ethos of sport as well as the traditions of European football.

“The Super League has caught a lot of people by surprise and it’s certainly something I don’t agree with in terms of what they are trying to do,” Kennedy said.

“I just think it’s about greed and rich clubs trying to get richer. They are forgetting what football is all about.

“Football is about the people, your community, your support. That’s why you play. You do it for them. Football is very much for everyone. What we have is a way of working which allows everyone who is successful to go and meet at the top table and challenge yourself there. Everyone loves it. It’s the beauty of football.

“If you take it away and the top teams go and look after themselves then it doesn’t help anyone.

“I think the kicking they’ve had off their own supporters shows it’s not the right thing.”

Kennedy ranks his imperious performance as Celtic knocked Barcelona out of the UEFA Cup in the Camp Nou back in 2004 as one of the highlights of his career, and he would hate to see future Celtic players denied of similar opportunities.

He also thinks it would be criminal to deny players from across Europe of the chance to experience the raucous atmosphere of a European night at Celtic Park.

“You are taking these big clubs from all the different leagues away and making them do their own thing,” he said.

“That’s not football for me. Yes, it’s the glamour of the big club, but they have to exist alongside your smaller clubs to maintain the tradition of football.

“That’s what all the fans love, especially at Celtic and Rangers when you do well domestically and you get the opportunity to go and play in the Champions League and get drawn against the big clubs.

“Everyone talks about the nights at Celtic Park and it’s very much about the experience and the excitement. You’ve heard some of the biggest names at the very biggest clubs talking about some of the greatest experiences at Celtic Park.

“That’s the beauty of football. It’s not just about the big clubs, it’s about football across the board with the fans.”

Kennedy said that if Celtic were invited to join another competition, such as the English Premier League, they would have to take the views of their supporters into account before making such a leap.

“That’s a hypothetical question,” he said.

“But the club are very close to our support and if your support don’t like the decision you are making as a club then that’s when things break down.

“I saw Jurgen Klopp and James Milner come out and talk about how they don’t agree with the decision the club are making above them. That’s in-house. And you see supporters coming to games and protesting against the decisions the clubs are making.

“Do that and you are losing that connection with your fans, which is the most important thing.

“It’s hypothetical and it’s not that I don’t want to answer, but the game is about the fans.

“That’s the most important thing – your fans and the community around the club.”