When the European Super League began to unravel in April 2021, Florentino Perez insisted that departure was not an option. 'I'm not going to take my time to explain what a binding contract is here. But the fact is, the clubs can't leave,' the Real Madrid president said.
Now Real Madrid is seeking contributions towards the failed project’s set-up costs from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. The club confirmed the request to Reuters on 20 October.
The potential bill could reach €80 million. Real Madrid says the six English clubs are liable for costs of creating the competition, which have so far been met by Real, Barcelona and Juventus.
The dispute reaches back to April 2021, when 12 major European clubs announced a breakaway league after signing a shareholders’ agreement for the European Super League Company, the holding company behind it. The founding group comprised Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
The announcement was met with widespread derision from fans, players and coaches. In 2019, before the competition was formally announced, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he opposed the formation of such a league.
Within three days, nine of the 12 founding clubs had withdrawn, including all six Premier League sides. The six English clubs were therefore among the nine founders who left shortly after the 2021 launch.
The six clubs signed a shareholders’ agreement for the European Super League Company. Real Madrid also signed a shareholders’ agreement with the Spain-based holding company. It remains unclear whether the contract explicitly set out the English clubs’ liability for set-up costs.
Juventus pulled out of the project before Barcelona formally withdrew in February, leaving Real Madrid as the sole remaining founding club. On 11 February, Real, UEFA and European Football Clubs announced an agreement of principles intended to resolve their Super League-related legal disputes.
Any money paid by the English clubs would go to the European Super League Company rather than directly to Real Madrid. Real did not immediately confirm whether it was also seeking payments from AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid, three clubs that also withdrew days after the April 2021 announcement.
Tottenham declined to comment on the request. The other five Premier League clubs did not immediately respond to Reuters.
Real Madrid is also reportedly in the final stages of appointing Bernd Reichart as its new head of business operations. Reichart previously served as chief executive of A22, the Madrid management group created to oversee the Super League’s development.
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