Shots fired at Real Madrid? Atletico CEO slams Super League rebrand as about 'one club' in scathing attack

Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin hit out at Real in an interview with his club's in-house media, questioning their ongoing refusal to let go of the project, now rebranded as the Unify League. Gil Marin appears supportive of recent changes made by UEFA to its competitions, and of the European Club Association, with Atletico one of the founding clubs that quickly withdrew from the original Super League.

Of the 12 founder members in 2021, only Real Madrid and Barcelona are still part of the newly named 'Unify League'. Juventus clung on for a long time but eventually withdrew just over two years later. The revised proposed format wants to include 96 clubs across four divisions, with 18 games required to win the top tier as a direct rival to the UEFA Champions League.

"At one time [the Super League] was a project based on a closed league, which would protect a few, and put the European football pyramid in danger," Gil Marin told Atletico's own media platforms.

"Now it's just about vindication for one club, in its stubborn fight against the system. I honestly believe the best way to change things that you don't agree with is doing so from within. From the outside, however big the club is, the only thing you achieve is creating uncertainty for television channels and sponsors, and with that, slow down the growth of the competitions in their current formats.

"UEFA and the European Club Association, which represent the system, have adapted their competitions with the aim of allowing clubs from more countries to participate, thanks to the three European competitions: the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League. And at the same time, they've ensured that the big clubs make more money."

A22, the firm managing the rebrand, want the new competition to be up and running by 2026. But UEFA would first have to approve its existence, which seems highly unlikely in the fist instance, while it also requires many more clubs to join to make it even remotely viable.