Home / Sports / ESL Saga Continues: Barcelona Exits, Real Madrid Stands Alone
ESL Saga Continues: Barcelona Exits, Real Madrid Stands Alone
7 Feb
Summary
- Barcelona formally communicated its withdrawal from the European Super League.
- Real Madrid is now the only founding member remaining in the project.
- The ESL project has undergone significant reformulations since its 2021 launch.
Barcelona has formally communicated its withdrawal from the European Super League (ESL) company and its participating clubs. This action leaves Real Madrid as the only founding member still associated with the project. The ESL, initially launched in April 2021 as a 20-team closed-shop competition, faced significant backlash from supporters, leading to the rapid withdrawal of six English Premier League clubs, Atletico Madrid, and both Milanese clubs.
Since its initial collapse, the ESL project, managed by the Madrid-based company A22, has undergone multiple reformulations. In December 2023, a revised proposal featured 64 clubs across three divisions with promotion and relegation. By December 2024, the concept evolved into the "Unify League," a four-tier format with 96 clubs qualifying through domestic leagues. A22 also demanded pre-authorization from UEFA for this concept last November, indicating it would challenge UEFA's existing European club competitions rather than domestic leagues.
