Real Madrid seeks Super League setup payments from six Premier League clubs
Real Madrid says six English clubs that left the failed competition should contribute to its setup costs. The reported total and contractual basis remain unclear.
Real Madrid is seeking contributions from six Premier League clubs toward the setup costs of the failed European Super League, the Spanish club confirmed to Reuters on 20 October. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are affected. The request raises a question of who pays for a competition that collapsed soon after its 2021 launch.
Real Madrid said the six English clubs were liable for the costs of establishing the competition. Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid have covered those costs so far, the club said. The Athletic reported that the total could reach €80 million, according to Reuters; that figure is a potential overall cost, not an established amount owed by any individual club.
The clubs’ payment obligations remain unclear
The Athletic reported that the clubs signed a shareholders’ agreement for the European Super League Company, the competition’s holding company. Reuters said it was unclear whether that agreement explicitly made them liable for setup costs. Real Madrid’s assertion of liability therefore does not establish what the six clubs are contractually required to pay.
Tottenham declined to comment on the request. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United had not immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. Real Madrid also did not immediately confirm whether it was seeking contributions from AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid, the other founding clubs that withdrew early.
How the Super League collapsed
The six English clubs were among nine of the Super League’s 12 founding members that withdrew within three days of its 2021 launch amid widespread opposition. Their departure brought down the proposed competition. Juventus subsequently left the project, and Barcelona formally withdrew in February 2026, leaving Real Madrid as its sole remaining founding club.
The payment request comes after Real Madrid, UEFA and European Football Clubs announced an agreement of principles on 11 February 2026 aimed at resolving their Super League-related legal disputes. That announcement concerned those organisations’ disputes; Reuters’ account of the new request leaves the six English clubs’ payment obligations unresolved.
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Sources and context
- Real Madrid seek Super League setup payments from Premier League sixChannel NewsAsia, carrying Reuters reporting
- Public Statement: UEFA, European Football Clubs and Real Madrid CF reach agreement for the good of European club footballReal Madrid
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.