Barcelona cites ‘Connection with Real Madrid’ as a factor in Super League exit
Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated that the club exited the European Super League to “rejoin the football family” and due to an “uncomfortable” relationship with Real Madrid.
On Saturday, Barça officially declared their departure from the Super League, leaving Madrid as the sole remaining club from the 12 that initiated the project in 2021.
The decision by the Catalan club followed the restoration of relations with UEFA, the organizers of the Champions League, and the European Football Clubs (EFC) — formerly known as the European Club Association (ECA) — in recent months.
“With UEFA, we have returned to the football family, definitively leaving the Super League,” Laporta conveyed through Barça’s official media outlets.
“We departed because it was a project that could not be realized. It had fallen apart. There were only costs and no benefits.
“The relationship with Real Madrid is not positive, and it has been a consistently uncomfortable situation.
“Barça has acted appropriately and with total transparency. We are seeking sustainability in European football and aim to contribute to the harmony of the sport.”
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The Super League was initially launched in 2021 with the backing of 12 of Europe’s largest clubs, but a strong backlash from fans in England quickly led to the withdrawal of the six Premier League teams — Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and eventually Juventus also withdrew, leaving LaLiga clubs Madrid and Barça as the only proponents of the project.
The two Clásico rivals continued to advocate for the concept in recent years, which was rebranded and relaunched as the Unify League in 2024, without attracting any substantial support.
