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Real Madrid are reportedly expecting the six Premier League clubs that participated in the ill-fated European Super League project in 2021 to pay their portion of the costs incurred during the failed launch.
The ESL collapsed almost immediately after its announcement. In response to the financial pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe's traditional powerhouses devised a closed competition, free from promotion or relegation, to be controlled by its founding members. Twelve clubs issued a bombshell joint statement on April 18, 2021, revealing the imminent competition designed to challenge UEFA's Champions League.
Within 72 hours, all six Premier League clubs had publicly pulled out of a proposal that triggered fierce backlash from supporters. Atlético Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan quickly followed suit in rapidly distancing themselves from the project.
European Super League's Original Founding Members' Exit Dates
Juventus held firm until June 2023, while Barcelona didn't loosen their grip until February of this year. Real Madrid subsequently reached "an agreement of principles for the wellbeing of European club football" with UEFA, seemingly drawing a definitive close to the ESL. Or so it appeared.
A new report from The Athletic, however, has claimed that Real Madrid "want" Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to cover what they allegedly owe toward the costs of establishing the ESL, given that their rapid departures effectively killed the project.
That figure could reach as high as €80 million ($89.9 million), which would require each of the 12 founding clubs to contribute around $7.5 million. Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, the last clubs to abandon the ESL venture, are believed to have been shouldering the financial load up until now.
Do Real Madrid Have a Legal Case?
As his ambitious plan to "save soccer" (from precisely what has never been clearly defined) was unraveling around him during the mass exodus of clubs, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez issued a stark warning. "I'm not going to take my time to explain what a binding contract is here," he said sharply. "But the fact is, the clubs can't leave."
The twelve founders "signed a 120-page contract," according to former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, when they committed to the ESL scheme, making them not only co-conspirators but legally bound shareholders. It has been widely reported that 11 of the 12 remain firmly tied to the project, with Inter Milan being the only club to have successfully extricated themselves.
The precise language of the contract will ultimately determine whether the clubs are compelled to pay their share. Though, a skilled enough attorney could presumably argue either side, given the ambiguities that exist even in the most meticulously drafted legal documents.