The European Super League breakaway project is finally over after a peace pact between UEFA and the final agitator, Real Madrid.
Those behind the plot, that caused unprecedented uproar within the Premier League in 2021, had refused to give up on the idea in recent years. However, as football leaders met in Brussels on Tuesday, UEFA and Real Madrid announced an agreement “for the good of European club football”.
“Following months of discussions conducted in the best interests of European football, UEFA, European Football Clubs (EFC), and Real Madrid CF announce that they have reached an agreement of principles for the well-being of European club football, respecting the principle of sporting merit with emphasis on long-term club sustainability and the enhancement of fan experience through the use of technology,” a UEFA statement said.
“This agreement of principles will also serve to resolve their legal disputes related to the European Super League, once such principles are executed and implemented.”
Madrid had been left as the sole backer of the project after Barcelona retreated from the idea on Saturday.
Yesterday’s announcement is the final nail in the coffin for an idea led by organiser A22. In 2021, the breakaway briefly had the backing of Chelsea, the Manchester clubs, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool. However, its launch quickly crumbled in October 2021 as the Premier League clubs withdrew amid a storm of protest.
Juventus eventually joined them in stepping away and the Spanish clubs had been the last standing.
UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, and Paris St-Germain counterpart, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, who chairs the European Clubs Association, both arrived several minutes late for a meeting in Brussels as final talks took place on Thursday with Madrid.
The agreement will also put an end to a damages claim against UEFA over alleged abuse of dominant position. Ceferin had repeatedly condemned the breakaway, casting its architects as harming European football and vowing to resist attempts to split the game for greater revenue.
UEFA’s revamped Champions League was a direct response to the breakaway plot to guarantee its member clubs greater revenues. –Telegraph
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