Real Madrid seek $90m from six Premier League clubs over failed Super League

By Ihuoma Inyama

Real Madrid are reportedly seeking around $90 million from the six Premier League clubs that withdrew from the European Super League project in 2021, with the Spanish giants arguing that the clubs should cover their share of the costs incurred in launching the failed competition.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were among the 12 founding clubs that announced the breakaway European competition in April 2021.

However, the proposal collapsed within days following intense opposition from supporters, with all six Premier League clubs withdrawing by April 21.

According to a report by The Athletic, Real Madrid now want the six English clubs to contribute towards the costs of setting up the Super League. The total amount being discussed is reportedly as high as €80 million ($89.9 million), which would work out at roughly $7.5 million for each of the 12 founding clubs.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are believed to have carried much of the financial burden since the collapse of the original proposal, having remained committed to the project considerably longer than the other clubs.

The Super League was initially designed to challenge UEFA’s Champions League, with its founding clubs set to form a largely closed competition without the traditional promotion and relegation system.

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The original 12 clubs had reportedly signed a 120-page agreement when establishing the project. Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had also insisted at the time that the clubs were bound by the agreement and could not simply withdraw.

However, whether the six Premier League clubs are legally required to make the payments remains unclear. The terms of the original agreement and the circumstances surrounding each club’s withdrawal are likely to determine whether Real Madrid’s claim can be enforced.

The dispute comes after Real Madrid reached an agreement with UEFA in February 2026 over the future of European club football, effectively bringing the Spanish club’s involvement in the original Super League project to an end.

For now, the reported $90 million demand could reopen one of the most controversial chapters in recent European football and put the six Premier League clubs back under scrutiny over their role in the failed breakaway competition.