Barcelona became the latest football club to sever ties with the proposed European Super League withdrawal.
Barcelona, along with Real Madrid, were at one point leading the charge for a rivalry to the Champions League. However, in a short statement on Saturday, Barcelona officially confirmed that they will no longer take part in the controversial project, which caused widespread outrage among fans when it was first announced in 2021.
“FC Barcelona hereby announces today that it has officially notified the European Super League management company and the clubs involved of its withdrawal from the European Super League project,” said the five-time Champions League winner.
This leaves Madrid as the leading club to support the rebranded Super League. unified league In 2024.
The original plan for Super League was for 12 of Europe’s oldest clubs to New elite tournament with 20 teams.
Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan were in the original exit group.
The proposal would protect the top 15 clubs from relegation and effectively replace the Champions League, Europe’s elite club tournament. It could also have had an impact on the domestic league, given that teams would be guaranteed entry regardless of their success in domestic competitions.
In the face of public outcry, the majority of clubs quickly withdrew. Madrid and Barcelona were the last two countries to publicly back a break, after holding out again. Juventus to leave in 2023.
Later that year, the European Union’s Supreme Court dominated Football’s governing bodies UEFA and FIFA claimed they had breached EU competition law by blocking the breakaway league’s plans. But Barcelona’s withdrawal was a further blow to hopes of creating a rival Champions League, despite Madrid-based Super League promoters A22 Sports Management revealing revised plans for the competition.
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James Robson is https://x.com/James Saran Robson
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