Real Madrid Demand Six Premier League Clubs Pay Share of Abandoned European Super League Costs

Key Points

• Cost Contribution Demanded: Real Madrid want the six Premier League clubs that initially signed up for the European Super League (ESL) to pay a share of the abandoned project’s setup costs.
• Significant Financial Scale: Sources estimate that the total initial costs could be as high as €80 million (£67.3m / $89.9m).
• English Clubs Involved: The six Premier League clubs requested to pay are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
• Contractual Dispute: The issue centres on whether the legal wording around clubs agreeing to “jointly own and manage” the ESL binding agreement encompasses ongoing financial liabilities.
• Executive Movement: Real Madrid are set to hire Bernd Reichart, the former CEO of A22 Sports Management (the agency promoting the ESL), as their new head of business operations once he concludes his duties at A22.
• Legal Implications: With Premier League clubs holding that their liabilities ended upon their withdrawal in April 2021, legal action may be required for Real Madrid to recover the funds.

Madrid (Evening Washington) October 20, 2026 – Real Madrid are seeking to recover millions of euros from six English Premier League clubs to cover setup costs incurred during the failed launch of the European Super League in April 2021. According to report details, the Spanish giants hold that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur remain liable for their share of the initial expenses despite withdrawing from the venture days after its announcement. With total preliminary costs reported to be as high as €80 million (£67.3m / $89.9m), the request reignites legal and financial tensions surrounding the short-lived breakaway project.

Why are Real Madrid seeking setup costs from English clubs?

As reported by anonymous sources with a close understanding of the situation to media title reporting, Real Madrid believe that the six Premier League clubs should still be liable for the initial setup costs of the European Super League.

The report states that the total expenses for establishing the breakaway structure could reach up to €80 million (£67.3m / $89.9m). Up until this point, Real Madrid, alongside domestic rivals Barcelona and Italian side Juventus, have shared the promotional costs associated with the ESL project since its public launch in April 2021.

Of the original 12 founding members, nine clubs—including all six Premier League teams, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, and Inter Milan—withdrew in rapid succession within days of the launch following severe backlash from supporters, governing bodies, and football stakeholders. Juventus subsequently announced their withdrawal in 2023, while Barcelona formally stepped away from the project in February 2024.

Despite their early departures, all 12 clubs original signed a shareholders’ agreement for the European Super League Company, a holding entity registered in Spain. That legal document provided underlying assurances for a planned competition that ultimately collapsed under widespread public opposition.

What are the legal grounds for Real Madrid’s claim?

As reported by media title sources, the underlying debate focuses on the precise interpretation of the contract signed by the 12 founding members in April 2021.

Following the immediate exit of the nine clubs in April 2021, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez stated: “I’m not going to take my time to explain what a binding contract is here. But the fact is, the clubs can’t leave.”

Whether the Premier League clubs are legally bound to pay a share of the accumulated costs relies on how courts or arbitrators interpret contractual language requiring members to “jointly own and manage” the venture, and whether that phrase implies joint financial obligations.

Leaked ESL-related documents do not contain explicit clauses detailing exact cost-sharing arrangements. However, they contain clear references to the clubs “jointly” owning and managing the holding entities, as well as obligations to “take the actions envisaged by this agreement for the creation and establishment of the (Super League) competition.”

As reported in the media analysis, legal opinion on the matter remains split: one interpretation views the wording as an open-ended financial commitment to support the establishment of the company, whereas an opposing legal view suggests the absence of explicit monetary figures coupled with the project’s rapid collapse renders the claim unenforceable.

When contacted regarding the financial claims, the six Premier League clubs declined to comment publicly, though they have consistently indicated that they consider their legal liabilities to have concluded when they formally withdrew. A spokesperson for A22 Sports Management, the Madrid-based management company that represented the ESL, also declined to comment. Furthermore, a Real Madrid source clarified that any money owed under the agreement would be owed directly to the European Super League Company rather than directly to Real Madrid.

How does the hiring of Bernd Reichart connect to the situation?

As reported by Real Madrid sources, the timing of the cost recovery request coincides with Real Madrid preparing to hire Bernd Reichart as their new head of business operations.

Reichart previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of A22 Sports Management. Real Madrid sources confirmed that Reichart will join the club’s executive structure once he has “finished his affairs at A22”.

Under Reichart’s leadership at A22, the proposed breakaway competition underwent multiple structural revisions:

• December 2023: A22 announced a revised 64-club model spread across three divisions with promotion and relegation, offering free television coverage for supporters.
• December 2024: The proposal was repackaged as the “Unify League,” expanding to 96 clubs across four tiers (Star, Gold, Blue, and Union), with qualification linked to domestic league performance.
• November 2025: A22 formally wrote to UEFA demanding pre-authorisation of the Unify League concept within an eight-week timeframe to compete alongside UEFA’s Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League structures.

What is the legal status of the European Super League?

As reported by media title reporting, the ongoing conflict over setup costs represents the latest stage of a long-simmering dispute that began when nine founding members abandoned the plan in April 2021.

While the departing English clubs expressed public apologies and sought to move past the episode, Real Madrid remained committed to the project’s legal frameworks for the longest duration.

With A22 and Real Madrid having recently de-escalated direct legal friction with UEFA and effectively setting aside the Unify League proposal, focus has shifted to settling the outstanding administrative expenses incurred over the past five years. Because the Premier League clubs maintain that their financial obligations expired upon their withdrawal, legal observers indicate that Real Madrid will likely have to initiate formal legal proceedings against the six English clubs to enforce any payment.

Background of the European Super League dispute

The European Super League was officially announced in April 2021 by 12 elite European football clubs: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur. The proposed closed-shop or semi-closed competition was designed to guarantee participation and substantial television revenues for its founding members, operating outside the jurisdiction of European football’s governing body, UEFA.

The announcement sparked immediate, intense hostility across the global football community. Fans, domestic leagues, player associations, and national governments voiced strong opposition, leading to protests outside stadiums in England and widespread political pressure. Within 48 hours of the announcement, all six English clubs withdrew from the agreement, issuing public apologies to their supporters.

Over the subsequent years, A22 Sports Management attempted to restructure the concept, challenging UEFA’s alleged monopoly in European courts. Although the European Court of Justice ruled in late 2023 that UEFA’s rules prohibiting breakaway leagues were contrary to EU competition law, public and institutional support for a alternative league remained minimal, eventually leading to the abandonment of the Unify League concept.

How this development affects Premier League club supporters and football executives

This renewed legal and financial demand primarily affects executives, legal teams, and supporters of the six Premier League clubs involved.

For club executives and financial directors at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, the potential liability introduces unexpected financial risks. Paying a share of a total bill that reaches up to €80 million could force clubs to reallocate funds away from operational budgets, player recruitment, or stadium infrastructure. Furthermore, engaging in complex cross-border litigation against Real Madrid and the European Super League Company would incur substantial ongoing legal fees.

For the supporters of these Premier League clubs, the development reopens a deeply controversial chapter that many hoped was permanently closed. Fans who fiercely protested the initial breakaway proposal in 2021 may view any financial settlement—or prolonged legal battle—as a lingering consequence of executive misjudgment. Additionally, supporters may be concerned that any mandatory financial payouts could impact their clubs’ compliance with financial sustainability rules in domestic and European competitions.