Real Madrid reportedly want Chelsea and the five other Premier League clubs that joined the European Super League to contribute to cost of the failed project. The Spanish giants believe that the Blues, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur should reimburse expenses incurred in relation to the creation of the breakaway competition.
The sums could be as high as €80 million (£67.3m), with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus having borne all the costs so far. This is despite the competition being cancelled almost immediately after its launch. Real Madrid’s argument is based on the shareholder agreement of all 12 founding clubs of the European Super League company, which requires joint ownership of the project, as well as its organisation and management.
The problem is that the agreement does not explicitly state who will be responsible for covering all costs, including marketing and other expenses related to the European Super League launch. This means that the situation could be taken to court.
If the €80 million debt is distributed among 12 Super League clubs, each will have to pay about €6.7m. According to one source close to Real Madrid, the payment would be transferred to the European Super League Company, not the Spanish club.
Manchester City withdrew from the European Super League first in April 2021, with Chelsea reportedly the first to pull out. The project collapsed within 48 hours due to fan protests. As a result, all six Premier League clubs involved decided to pay a fine of £22m to the Premier League, with each owing about £3.7m.
Real Madrid terminated its participation in the European Super League in February 2026, having reached an agreement with UEFA, following Barcelona’s exit several days earlier. Real Madrid’s request for reimbursement also comes as the club prepares for the arrival of its incoming head of business operations Bernd Reichart, previously the CEO of A22.
When Thomas Tuchel Spoke About Super League Drama
Thomas Tuchel was the manager of Chelsea FC when the Blues joined the European Super League in April 2021. Fans protested against the decision and blocked the team’s buses outside Stamford Bridge before a home league match against Brighton. Petr Cech, the club’s technical and performance advisor, had to speak with the protesters and convince them to let the bus go.
Chelsea drew 0-0 in that match, and the club withdrew from the Super League that same night. Ahead of the following match against West Ham, Tuchel spoke about the incident and admitted it had distracted him:
“Yeah, yeah [I was distracted last time]. But it’s the owner’s club, it’s not my club. I’m part of the club, but it’s the owner and the club’s decision, and now they change that decision.
“There’s no need to apologise to me directly, my job is to adapt to the circumstances. Were we distracted, yeah clearly. Me personally, I arrived in a state of mind on Tuesday at the stadium that was clearly not the mindset that I normally arrive in, for a match, but that’s already in the past, and like I said, I don’t think they need to apologise to me.”
Ultimately, Chelsea got over the controversy in a spectacular manner by eliminating Real Madrid from the Champions League semi-finals. In the end, Tuchel and his team beat Manchester City 1-0 in Porto to win the tournament.