The contentious saga of the European Super League is officially over. Real Madrid, the last remaining proponent of the breakaway competition, has reached an agreement with UEFA, effectively consigning the project to history. The announcement, made on , follows Barcelona’s withdrawal last weekend and marks a significant victory for UEFA and traditional football structures.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin expressed his relief at the outcome, stating at the UEFA Congress in Brussels on : “I’m personally very happy that Real Madrid and Barcelona joined the family again. Honestly speaking, we were all tired of these disputes.” He emphasized that despite disagreements with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, respect remained. “We never lost respect – to ourselves, to each other, and we never lost the love for the game,” Ceferin added. His ultimate conclusion was unequivocal: “The only winner of this situation is football, nobody else.”
The initial attempt to launch the Super League in triggered widespread condemnation from fans, governments, and most of the ‘Big Six’ English clubs, who swiftly withdrew. Real Madrid and Barcelona, however, remained steadfast in their belief in the project, with Perez spearheading legal action against UEFA in an attempt to circumvent its opposition. That legal battle is now, presumably, moot.
The resolution was facilitated, in part, by Nasser Al Khelaifi, president of Paris St Germain and chairman of the European Football Clubs (EFC) group. Ceferin acknowledged Al Khelaifi’s “instrumental” role in bringing Real Madrid back into the fold. The EFC, through the newly formed UC3 joint commercial venture with UEFA, now wields greater influence over the governance and commercial strategy of UEFA’s club competitions, including revenue distribution.
However, not everyone is celebrating the agreement. Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, has accused Florentino Perez of attempting to rewrite the narrative surrounding the Super League’s demise. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tebas criticized Perez, stating that the agreement represents a “backtrack” disguised as a “strategic victory.” He argued that Perez’s previous staunch defense of the Super League, just months ago, contrasts sharply with the current narrative. “The problem isn’t changing. It’s denying that a change has happened,” Tebas wrote. “When one has real leadership, there’s no need to rewrite what was said 90 days ago. A competition of one against oneself was impossible.”
The timing of Real Madrid’s announcement, coming after Barcelona’s withdrawal, left Los Blancos isolated in their pursuit of the Super League. As recently as , Perez publicly reiterated his commitment to the project, but the loss of Barcelona proved fatal. The Super League, initially conceived with 12 of Europe’s biggest clubs, ultimately crumbled under the weight of opposition and internal divisions.
Interestingly, Al Khelaifi offered a surprisingly supportive assessment of Perez, dismissing critics as “stupid and know[ing] nothing about football.” He lauded Perez as “a very elegant and intelligent man, a visionary, someone who is always trying to push things forward, to improve them.” Al Khelaifi emphasized that the agreement benefits all parties involved, stating, “The most important thing here is that we all win. Nobody loses. Football wins, which is what we all wanted.”
The end of the Super League saga doesn’t necessarily signal a complete cessation of debate regarding the future of European club football. The increased influence of the EFC through the UC3 venture suggests a potential shift in power dynamics within UEFA, with clubs seeking a greater share of revenue and control over the commercial aspects of competitions like the Champions League. The agreement with UEFA appears to be a compromise, granting clubs more influence while preserving the fundamental structure of existing competitions.
While the immediate crisis has been averted, the underlying tensions regarding financial distribution and competitive balance are likely to persist. The Super League’s emergence highlighted the growing financial disparities between the elite clubs and the rest of European football, and those concerns will undoubtedly remain a focal point of future negotiations. The question now becomes whether the increased influence of the EFC will lead to meaningful reforms that address these issues, or simply consolidate the power of the wealthiest clubs within the existing framework.
The resolution, however, provides a degree of stability and allows European football to move forward without the constant threat of a breakaway league looming over it. The focus can now return to on-field competition, with the Champions League and other UEFA-sanctioned tournaments remaining the pinnacle of club football in Europe. The long and turbulent chapter of the Super League is, for now, closed.
