Plans for a European soccer superleague appeared on the brink of collapse on Tuesday, a potentially spectacular implosion for a multibillion-dollar proposal that had prompted howls of outrage from nearly every corner of the sport since it was announced on Sunday.
Chelsea, one of six English teams that had signed up as founding members of the new league, was preparing documentation to officially withdraw from the project, according to a person familiar with the club’s discussions. A spokesman for the club declined to comment.
Manchester City, which leads the Premier League, was also close to pulling out of its agreement, according to people with knowledge of the situation.