Barcelona Withdraws from European Super League Amid Ongoing Tensions with Real Madrid

In 2021, plans for the formation of a European Super League were unveiled, featuring 12 clubs. The initial participants included three Spanish teams: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid, alongside Italian clubs Inter, Juventus, and AC Milan, as well as six Premier League teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham. However, a substantial backlash prompted the Premier League clubs to withdraw promptly, followed by the other participating teams, leaving only the two Spanish giants in the project. Recently, Barcelona confirmed its intention to withdraw, thereby making Real Madrid the last standing supporter of the Super League.

Barcelona had previously considered the European Super League as a potential solution to its ongoing financial challenges. However, club president Joan Laporta has recently indicated a shift in strategy, emphasizing the need to foster relations with UEFA after the project faced significant opposition. He stated: “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. We’re committed to building bridges between the Super League and UEFA. Barca has a clear position, and those affected and responsible are aware of it. We’re in favor 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.”

Laporta further noted that negotiations with UEFA are progressing, as both UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and EFC President Nasser Al-Khelaifi are supportive of reaching an agreement that would benefit European football and its clubs.

Conversely, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez continues to advocate for the Super League, asserting that it remains an essential initiative for football. He stated that the club would seek compensation from UEFA for its actions against the league, asserting their legal rights to create competitions and pursue damages due to UEFA’s conduct. “We still insist that [the Super League] is an essential project for football. With the historic judgment of the European court, and two additional judgments from the Madrid court, the situation is very different. We have had our right to create our own competitions recognized. We will tirelessly pursue both our right to compensation for our losses and our right to organize a competition in the future,” he remarked.

As tensions rise between the two clubs, Real Madrid has yet to respond to Barcelona’s withdrawal. This season has seen increased conflict, with Pérez criticizing Barcelona in light of the ongoing Negreira scandal, while Laporta has accused Madrid of spreading falsehoods. On the pitch, the rivalry continues, as both teams vie for supremacy in La Liga, with Barcelona currently leading by a narrow margin.