Real Madrid and UEFA have announced that they have ended their legal dispute over the proposed Super League. The Spanish giants were the only club still signed up to the failed project, as Barcelona withdrew their support last week.
Super League finally dead
The Super League project is officially over, with UEFA announcing that they and Real Madrid have ended their legal dispute over the potential founding of a breakaway league. The Spanish club were the only team left in the doomed project, after Barcelona had withdrawn themselves last week.
A joint statement from UEFA, Real and the European Football Clubs read: “UEFA, European Football Clubs and Real Madrid CF reach agreement for the good of European club football.
“This agreement of principles will also serve to resolve their legal disputes related to the European Super League, once such principles are executed and implemented.
“Following months of discussions conducted in the best interests of European football, UEFA, European Football Clubs (EFC), and Real Madrid CF announce that they have reached an agreement of principles for the well-being of European club football, respecting the principle of sporting merit with emphasis on long-term club sustainability and the enhancement of fan experience through the use of technology.
“This agreement of principles will also serve to resolve their legal disputes related to the European Super League, once such principles are executed and implemented.”
Real follow Barca’s suit … eventually
Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were all involved in the initial proposal of the Super League, and signed up in 2021. An intense backlash from fans in England, though, led all six to remove their support within 72 hours.
It took Barcelona until last week to give up the ghost. At the time, Joan Laporta, the club’s president, claimed that Barca will now aim to build closer ties to UEFA.
He said: “The president of UEFA and the president of the ECA, now the EFC, invited us to come to Rome. I attended several meetings. It was wonderful, exciting, and we discussed many issues. You know, we’re committed to building bridges between the Super League and UEFA. Barca has a clear position, and those affected and those responsible already know it. We’re in favour of peace because there’s room to explore together for the clubs in the Super League to return to UEFA. We feel very close to UEFA and the EFC.
“This is at the point of reaching an agreement with UEFA. Both Aleksander Čeferin and Nasser Al-Khelaifi are in a position to promote the agreement and welcome us into UEFA and the EFC. We are determined to take this step because it benefits European football and the clubs. It’s a very broad framework because it also benefits the players.”
A statement from the club read: “FC Barcelona hereby announces that today it has formally notified the European Super League Company and the clubs involved of its withdrawal from the European Super League project.”
Perez’s U-turn
Florentino Perez, Real Madrid’s president, had claimed that the club would fight for the Super League, but their joint statement with UEFA amounts to an armistice.
He said upon the news of Barca’s pulling out: “We still insist [the Super League] is a necessary venture for soccer. With the historic judgment of the European courtroom, and two further judgments from the Madrid courtroom, the scenario may be very totally different. We’ve had our proper to create our personal competitions recognised. We are able to additionally declare multimillion euro damages for UEFA’s conduct. We’ve two rights: to be compensated for our losses, and to rearrange a contest sooner or later, and we are going to tirelessly pursue each.”
What comes subsequent for Actual Madrid?
Actual Madrid play Real Sociedad this weekend in La Liga earlier than they face a Champions League play-off towards Benfica. The primary leg takes place on February 17 in Portugal.
