Former Liverpool defender and TV football pundit Jamie Carragher declared the competition dead in the water.
“Super League is finished! Well done to all fans up and down the country!” he said on social media.
Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy struck an optimistic tone, saying: “What a beautiful day for football. Let’s keep playing, let’s keep fighting, let’s keep dreaming.”
Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward became the first casualty of the backlash, announcing his resignation shortly before his club gave up on a project he had been influential in bringing about.
Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand, a fierce critic of the breakaway competition from the outset, said the teams were coming to their senses.
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“Teams finally seeing sense and pulling out of the #SuperLeague … Football is and ALWAYS will be about the fans,” he said on social media.
Adding: “The fans have obviously not been a consideration at all … disgrace.”
For many footballers, the strong reaction to the ESL showed unity in the game. Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder, Adam Lallana, said: “What has been shown is that together we are stronger than anything. It is great to see everyone coming together as one.”
Former Manchester United and England defender, Gary Neville, who has been outspoken about his discontent over the ESL since its announcement, said the owners of the club “have no place in Manchester anymore.”
“We have to work hard together to ensure that ownership rules in this country are changed. The people have spoken. We were on the brink of anarchy if this continued,” the Sky Sports pundit added.
Liverpool great Graeme Souness also said supporters would not be able to forgive them despite the U-turns.
“The supporters will not forgive the people who decided to go for this idea … They’ve been shown to be people who would take quick money. They would sell their soul basically,” Souness, also now a Sky Sports pundit, said.
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“They were going to sell the souls of our major football institutions. I don’t know how these clubs will manage to get back onside,” he added.
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock struck a similar tone, but went a step further by demanding an apology from club owners.
“The owners need to come out and say, ‘we got this competition wrong. We apologize – we’re begging you for forgiveness.’ It won’t surprise me if certain clubs went up for sale now because of the pressure they’ll come under,” Warnock said.
Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright said: “Remember who you are, what you are and who you represent.”