The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been urged to investigate whether the breakaway European Super League would breach laws to uphold fairness.

Labour’s shadow minister for sport Alison McGovern blasted the proposal as “nothing short of an attempt to stitch up competition” for a few elite clubs.

She has written a letter to the CMA asking whether it will investigate the widely-criticised plans, commission a study to identify how the league would impact upon competition in the market and to advise Parliament on drafting legislation to make the sport more accountable to supporters.

The party has also urged football fans to sign a petition pressuring the regulator into action over the move backed by the “Big Six” of English Premier League clubs.

In a statement, she added: “Proposals for a breakaway league are nothing short of an attempt to stitch up competition for a few elite clubs at the top.

“We urge supporters across the country to add their names to this letter and show the groundswell of feeling against these damaging proposals, that would do immense damage to football and communities across the country.

“This must now be a watershed moment. We cannot simply go back to the status quo in which smaller clubs struggle to stay afloat and fans are excluded from decisions.”