What Happened to the European Super League?

The European Super League (ESL) was supposed to change football forever. Announced in April 2021 by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, the breakaway competition aimed to guarantee elite matches and deliver greater financial certainty. Within 48 hours, however, the project appeared to collapse under intense fan protests and political pressure.

Yet the story did not end with that dramatic week. Legal battles followed, formats were redesigned, and a couple of clubs continued pushing for reform. Over the next five years, the Super League shifted from an attempted revolution to a prolonged dispute over who controls European football. Here’s how the idea rose, fell and eventually completely faded.

The 2021 Launch

On 18 April 2021, 12 founding clubs formally announced the creation of the European Super League. The line-up consisted of six English teams (Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City), three Spanish ones (Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid) and three Italian clubs (Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan).

The backlash was overwhelming. Supporters staged protests outside stadiums, particularly in England. Political leaders condemned the move, with the UK government threatening legislative action. UEFA and FIFA warned that participating clubs could face bans from domestic leagues and international tournaments.

Faced with mounting pressure, the six English sides withdrew within two days, while Atlético Madrid, Inter and AC Milan very quickly followed. With nine of the 12 prospective founding members gone, many assumed the idea was completely finished, but still it hung on quietly in the background.

Down But Not Out

Although the launch failed, the Super League did not disappear entirely. Three clubs, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, refused to formally abandon the project despite the initial huge setback.

Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli insisted the initiative still had a strong chance of success, while Florentino Pérez maintained that reform of European football remained necessary. Barcelona president Joan Laporta also argued that structural change was essential for the long-term sustainability of top clubs.

At this stage, however, the focus shifted away from launching a competition and towards challenging UEFA’s authority. With widespread opposition from fans, leagues and governments, a 2021 restart was impossible. Instead, the remaining clubs pursued a legal strategy that could help pave the way for the ESL in future.

Revival Project

In October 2022, A22 Sports Management, a company created to develop and promote the Super League, appointed Bernd Reichart as its chief executive. The German businessman claimed the competition could return within three years and argued that European football was becoming financially unsustainable under the existing model.

In February 2023, A22 published a manifesto outlining a redesigned format. Unlike the original proposal, which guaranteed permanent membership to founding clubs, the new version promised a multi-division structure with promotion and relegation. Entry would be based on sporting merit rather than fixed places.

The response remained largely critical. The European Club Association, domestic leagues and supporter groups questioned both the necessity and viability of the project. In the UK, the government announced plans for an independent football regulator, partly to prevent English clubs from joining breakaway competitions deemed harmful to the domestic pyramid.

Despite the rebrand and revised structure, the project struggled to rebuild credibility. No major club publicly committed to joining the new format.

Legal Victory for the ESL

In December 2023, the Super League project secured a significant legal ruling. The European Court of Justice found that UEFA and FIFA had abused a dominant position under EU competition law by operating approval and sanctioning systems that were not sufficiently transparent, objective or proportionate.

The court ruled that governing bodies cannot simply block new competitions without fair procedures. However, it also made clear that this decision did not automatically approve the Super League itself. Any new competition would still need to meet regulatory standards. Still, this ruling represented a major win for the ESL and a blow for UEFA/FIFA.

Earlier, in January 2023, A22 had also won an appeal in a Spanish court that it said allowed it to pursue its plans free from threats of sanctions. While these rulings strengthened the project’s legal position, they did not generate renewed sporting support.

Spanish Duo Carry On the Fight

Juventus began the process of withdrawing from the Super League in 2023, with its exit confirmed in 2024. That left Barcelona and Real Madrid as the only clubs still formally backing the idea.

Laporta claimed that some Premier League clubs privately supported reform, although none publicly joined the initiative. Meanwhile, A22 continued refining its proposal. Revised plans suggested competitions involving up to 80 teams in multiple divisions, with no permanent members and a guaranteed minimum number of matches per season.

In late 2024, A22 unveiled an expanded 96-club concept across four leagues, branded the ‘Unify League.’ The organisation sought official recognition from UEFA and argued that, following the European court ruling, interested clubs would not face unlawful sanctions if the competition were approved.

Despite this, the Unify League was never deemed a significant threat as momentum for any form of pan-continental league, even if totally rebranded, had run out. Critics argued that the project continued to lack broad backing from clubs, federations, players and supporters. Without any firm commitments from participants, the plans remained entirely theoretical.

Slim Revival Hopes Vanish as Agreement Reached

Despite legal wins and repeated rebranding, the Super League never regained meaningful support after its initial collapse in April 2021. No major club rejoined the project, and it effectively became a campaign led solely by Barcelona and Real Madrid. In February 2026, Barcelona formally withdrew, with Real Madrid following days later, bringing the final chapter of the initiative to a close.

Public Statement: UEFA, European Football Clubs and Real Madrid CF reach agreement for the good of European club football.

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 11, 2026

Real Madrid stepped away after effectively brokering a peace deal with UEFA. Just four months earlier, the club had been seeking “substantial damages” after a Madrid court found that UEFA and La Liga had engaged in anti-competitive behaviour when blocking the breakaway league. The legal battle appeared set to continue.

However, in an unexpected joint statement ahead of UEFA’s annual congress, it was confirmed that an “agreement of principles for the well-being of European club football” had been reached. The framework committed all parties to respecting sporting merit, supporting long-term club sustainability and enhancing the fan experience through technology. UEFA also indicated that the ongoing legal disputes would be resolved once the agreement was implemented.

With that compromise in place, the final remaining backers formally withdrew, ending the European Super League project. While it remains buried for now, it would not be a great surprise if some version of the idea resurfaced in the future. After all, the financial pressures driving elite clubs to seek greater control over revenues and competition formats have not disappeared. However, any renewed attempt would need broader support, stronger safeguards around sporting merit and far greater sensitivity to fan opinion than the 2021 proposal ever demonstrated.