Former England international and Salford City co-owner Gary Neville has slammed the Premier League after failing to agree a new funding deal for the EFL.
Monday’s shareholders’ meeting in London ended without an offer being made, which Neville branded an “absolute disgrace”.
A six-year deal granting the EFL just under 15 per cent of net media revenue – projected to be worth around £900million - had been suggested.
However, top flight clubs feel the priority is to thrash out a new financial system to replace the current profitability and sustainability rules.
“I am more interested in the vote they didn’t have, which was to support the rest of the Football League which they keep bumping down the road and it is an absolute disgrace,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“It is about the welfare of the game and the sustainability of the whole league.
“The Premier League at this moment in time are negligent in their dismissive nature, just pushing it down the road, thinking ‘maybe a regulator will sort it, maybe we will sort it’ and not doing anything.
“That is not good governance, it just demonstrates to me that they are not looking after the whole game like they should be.
“It angers me every time I see they have a Premier League meeting and seem to look after themselves but not look after the rest of football.”
A report by Mail Sport claimed that Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, West Ham, Aston Villa, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth were all against a vote over potential EFL funding.
A Premier League spokesperson said on Monday: “At a Premier League shareholders’ meeting today clubs agreed to prioritise the swift development and implementation of a new league-wide financial system.
“This will provide certainty for clubs in relation to their future financial plans and will ensure the Premier League is able to retain its existing world-leading investment to all levels of the game.
“Alongside this, Premier League clubs also reconfirmed their commitment to securing a sustainably-funded financial agreement with the EFL, subject to the new financial system being formally approved by clubs.
“The league and clubs also reaffirmed their ongoing and longstanding commitment to the wider game which includes £1.6billion distributed to all levels of football across the current three-year cycle.
“The Premier League’s significant funding contributions cover all EFL clubs and National League clubs, as well as women and girls’ football, and the grassroots of the game.”
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