"The Super League originally launched in 2021 with the support of 12 of Europe's biggest clubs, but a fan backlash in England quickly saw the six Premier League teams -- Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur -- withdraw. Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and, eventually, Juventus followed suit, leaving just Real Madrid and Barça as the faces of the project."
"The move followed a ruling by the European Court of Justice in December 2023 -- after the Super League sought protection for its plans under EU law -- which held that UEFA and FIFA had been "abusing a dominant position," calling their rules governing new formats "arbitrary." UEFA subsequently said it believed rules brought in since the Super League's attempted launch in 2021 ensured it now complied with EU law."
Barcelona formally withdrew from the European Super League, ending the club's participation in a project that struggled to gain support. The Super League launched in 2021 with 12 founding clubs but most Premier League teams and several major European clubs later withdrew. Real Madrid and Barcelona remained as primary proponents until Barcelona re-established links with UEFA and the European Football Clubs (EFC) and relations with Madrid soured. The project relaunched in 2024 as the Unify League under A22 Sports, which sought recognition from UEFA and FIFA after a 2023 European Court of Justice ruling criticised UEFA and FIFA's conduct. UEFA says new rules comply with EU law, and broader appetite for the competition remains limited.
Read at ESPN.com
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