Super League saga finally over as Real Madrid reach agreement with UEFA for the 'well-being of European club football'

The Super League project is officially over, with UEFA announcing that they and Real Madrid have ended their legal dispute over the potential founding of a breakaway league. The Spanish club were the only team left in the doomed project, after Barcelona had withdrawn themselves last week. 

A joint-statement from UEFA, Real and the European Football Clubs read: "UEFA, European Football Clubs and Real Madrid CF reach agreement for the good of European club football.

"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.

"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.

"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."

Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were all involved in the initial proposal of the Super League, and signed up in 2021. An intense backlash from fans in England, though, led all six to remove their support within 72 hours. 

It took Barcelona until last week to give up the ghost. At the time, Joan Laporta, the club's president, claimed that Barca will now aim to build closer ties to UEFA.

He said: "The president of UEFA and the president of the ECA, now the EFC, invited us to come to Rome. I attended several meetings. It was wonderful, exciting, and we discussed many issues. You know, we’re committed to building bridges between the Super League and UEFA. Barca has a clear position, and those affected and those responsible already know it.  We’re in favour of peace because there’s room to explore together for the clubs in the Super League to return to UEFA. We feel very close to UEFA and the EFC.

"This is at the point of reaching an agreement with UEFA. Both Aleksander Ceferin and Nasser Al-Khelaifi are in a position to promote the agreement and welcome us into UEFA and the EFC. We are determined to take this step because it benefits European football and the clubs. It’s a very broad framework because it also benefits the players."

A statement from the club read: "FC Barcelona hereby announces that today it has formally notified the European Super League Company and the clubs involved of its withdrawal from the European Super League project."

Florentino Perez, Real Madrid's president, had claimed that the club would fight for the Super League, but their joint-statement with UEFA amounts to an armistice. 

He said upon the news of Barca's pulling out: "We still insist [the Super League] is an essential project for football. With the historic judgment of the European court, and two additional judgments from the Madrid court, the situation is very different. We have had our right to create our own competitions recognised. We can also claim multimillion euro damages for UEFA's conduct. We have two rights: to be compensated for our losses, and to arrange a competition in the future, and we will tirelessly pursue both."

Real Madrid play Real Sociedad this weekend in La Liga before they face a Champions League play-off against Benfica. The first leg takes place on February 17 in Portugal.