FC Barcelona has disassociated itself from the project to create the European Football Super League, defended by rival Real Madrid and its president Florentino Pérez, the Spanish club announced today in a statement. “FC Barcelona announces today that formally notified the European Super League and the clubs involved of its withdrawal from the European Super League project”, reads the statement from the Catalans.
The current Spanish champion was one of 12 of the main clubs in Spain, England and Italy, who, on April 18, 2021, announced their intention to create an elite competitionin a semi-closed circuit, competing in the Champions League, as opposed to UEFA.
In addition to FC Barcelona, the project was taken on by AC Milan, Arsenal, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham. The energetic reaction of the football world and the rejection from the most varied quarters of society and even the governments of several countries led to, three days after the announcement, faced with opposition from the fans themselves, only Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus remained in the project.
UEFA decided to make an example of dissidents and, in May 2022, announced the imposition of heavy fines – aggravated in the case of the three clubs that still remained faithful to the Superliga –pushing Juventus out of the initiative, despite the departure only being completed in 2023.
Supporters of the competition responded with the creation of A22 Sports Management, aimed at managing the project and combating the “UEFA monopoly”, presenting a new competitive format, which went from the initial 20 clubs (15 founders and five qualified annually) to 64, today, again, reformulated.
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