Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, has announced that the club has opted to withdraw from the European Super League in order to “rejoin the football family” and due to an “uncomfortable” relationship with Real Madrid.
Barcelona officially confirmed their departure from the Super League on Saturday, leaving Real Madrid as the sole remaining club from the group of 12 that initiated the project in 2021.
This decision was made following the restoration of relationships with UEFA, the governing body of the Champions League, and the European Football Clubs (EFC), formerly known as the European Club Association (ECA), in recent months.
“We have returned to the football family with UEFA, definitively leaving the Super League,” Laporta shared through Barça’s official media channels.
“We left because it was a project that couldn’t be realized. It had unraveled into merely expenses without benefits.
“The relationship with Real Madrid has been poor and consistently uncomfortable.
“Barcelona has acted appropriately and with full transparency. We are seeking sustainability in European football and aim to contribute to the harmony of the sport.”
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The Super League was initially launched in 2021 with backing from 12 prominent European clubs, but widespread fan backlash led to the withdrawal of six Premier League clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Subsequently, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and eventually Juventus followed suit, leaving Real Madrid and Barcelona as the last proponents of the initiative.
In recent years, the two rivals have continued to advocate for the project, which was rebranded and relaunched as the Unify League in 2024, although it has yet to gain substantial support.