Real Madrid is demanding that the six English clubs that initially joined the European Super League project pay their respective shares of the competition's initial costs, despite its eventual abandonment. The British newspaper The Athletic reported the claim, citing several sources familiar with the matter.

According to the report, Real Madrid believes Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham remain liable for the costs of developing the project, even though they withdrew shortly after its announcement in April 2021. One source cited by the outlet estimates the total expenses at up to 80 million euros.

Until now, Real Madrid has shared the Super League's promotional costs with Barcelona and Juventus. The other founding clubs, including the six English sides, Atlético Madrid, Inter and AC Milan, withdrew in the days following the announcement. Juventus announced its departure in 2023, while Barcelona formalized its exit in February this year.

The central issue is how to interpret the shareholders' agreement signed by the clubs with the Spain-based company managing the project. According to The Athletic, the dispute will focus on whether the clause committing the clubs to "jointly own and manage" the competition also entails financial obligations. At the time, president Florentino Pérez argued that the contracts were binding and that the clubs "could not leave."

The claim comes as Bernd Reichart, former CEO of A22, the company that managed the Super League project, prepares to join Real Madrid as its new head of business operations. According to club sources cited by the newspaper, any outstanding amount would be owed to the Super League company rather than directly to Real Madrid. Both A22 and the six English clubs declined to comment.

However, a swift resolution appears unlikely. The leaked project documents do not explicitly address the allocation of costs, meaning Real Madrid may have to take the matter to court if the parties fail to reach an agreement.

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