Nearly five years ago, several prominent soccer clubs across Europe announced their intent to create a breakaway European Super League, a venture that dismantled almost immediately due to backlash from fans.
Giants LaLiga, Barcelona and Real Madrid, were the last to maintain hopes of launching this lucrative competition; however, on Saturday, Barça officially announced its withdrawal from the stalled project.
But why now? And what implications does their delayed exit have for these two Clásico rivals and their positions in Spanish soccer? ESPN’s Madrid correspondent Alex Kirkland and Barcelona correspondent Sam Marsden delve into the details.
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The Final Curtain for the European Super League
As many may recall, the European Super League had 12 founding clubs when it was launched in April 2021: six from the Premier League (namely Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur), three from LaLiga (Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid), and three from Serie A (AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus). Now, only Real Madrid remains associated with the project. The six English clubs withdrew days after the announcement due to widespread opposition. Atlético, Inter, and AC Milan followed suit shortly thereafter, with Juventus officially exiting in June 2024. Finally, Barcelona confirmed their exit in a brief 28-word statement.
Real Madrid’s isolation comes at a time when the Super League concept seems to have gained both ideological and practical momentum. In December 2023, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against UEFA’s previous regulations on breakaway competitions, deeming them an illegal monopoly. Subsequently, in May 2024, a Madrid court supported that decision, concluding that the governing bodies abused their dominant position when they threatened sanctions against Super League participants.
Meanwhile, A22 Sports Management, the driving force behind the Super League, introduced a new, more appealing framework for the project, emphasizing inclusivity and fairness. They promoted the idea of a streaming service named Unify to air the games, fully funded by advertising. Recently, Madrid announced plans to pursue legal action for significant damages from UEFA regarding its handling of the Super League situation, referencing the ECJ and the Madrid court decisions.
Just three months ago, Florentino Pérez, the Real Madrid president and a staunch advocate for the ESL, reiterated his belief during the club’s annual meeting that he was “more convinced than ever” about winning the Super League dispute.
“Real Madrid is the only club with the institutional strength and wealth to fight this battle,” he stated to club members. “Few are brave enough to voice their beliefs … We maintain that [the Super League] is vital for the future of football. We have the right to create our own competitions and seek substantial damages from UEFA for their actions. We possess two rights: compensation for our losses and establishing a competition in the future, and we will earnestly pursue both.”
Despite Pérez’s assertions, Madrid is now left exclusively advocating for a new competition to replace the Champions League. A22’s CEO, Berndt Reichart, who has emerged as the public representative of the Super League after Pérez’s controversial initial reveal, asserts that there exists undisclosed support for the project behind closed doors.
Interestingly, UEFA conceded last October that informal discussions had occurred with A22 regarding a potential compromise; however, they emphasized that “no formal outcomes stemmed from these conversations,” asserting there were no plans to amend the Champions League format.
After those talks fell short, Madrid expressed their intention to seek damages. At this stage, Madrid’s legal pursuits seem to be their only strategy, with no other clubs publicly backing the Super League.
— Alex Kirkland
Madrid’s Strategic Position
The dynamic between Real Madrid and Barcelona transcends mere rivalry. They appear to be fierce competitors but often recognize that mutual cooperation is beneficial.
This was particularly evident over the past five years as they collaborated against UEFA and LaLiga, particularly regarding challenges stemming from the European Super League’s failed launch in 2021.
That year, both clubs, alongside Athletic Club, declined an investment proposition from CVC, a private equity firm aimed at LaLiga. Afterward, league president Javier Tebas suggested that had Barça agreed to the deal, they might have prevented Lionel Messi’s exit. However, Barça’s president Joan Laporta felt that the CVC deal did not address the club’s financial struggles and chose to align with Pérez and the potential financial gains from the Super League.
This partnership between the two clubs continued for subsequent years, with Madrid notably maintaining a low profile regarding the investigation into Barça’s payments linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spain’s refereeing committee, which surfaced in early 2023. Madrid did join the case as a claimant, but this action was perceived more as a means to satisfy discontented members than a genuine condemnation of Barça, involving payments totaling over €7 million from 2001 to 2018.
However, Madrid’s stance has intensified in recent months as Barça’s leadership has shifted away from support for the Super League. In October, Laporta visited Rome to pave the way for Barça’s reintegration into the European Football Clubs (EFC), previously known as the European Club Association (ECA), which both clubs had left upon the Super League’s inception. He has also sought to enhance relations with UEFA, LaLiga, and Tebas, prompting Madrid to refocus on the Negreira case.
“It’s abnormal for Barcelona to have paid over €7 million to the referees’ vice president over 17 years,” Pérez remarked during a club assembly last November. “That coincided with Barcelona’s most successful period.”
Former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso also expressed concerns about the case in December, and new coach Álvaro Arbeloa chose to also highlight the Negreira situation in remarks regarding Barça’s Super League withdrawal.
“Concerning the Negreira case: It’s perplexing that the most significant scandal in Spanish football history remains unresolved,” Arbeloa noted. “This should be a considerable concern for many.” — Sam Marsden