Real Madrid press Premier League's Big Six for €80 million

At the Bernabeu, Real Madrid have formally asked the six English clubs that signed the ill‑fated European Super League to cover their share of the competition’s start‑up costs, a demand that could total €80 million, according to reports published on 20 October 2026 today.

The six Premier League clubs

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham were among the twelve clubs involved in the European Super League before the project was abandoned following widespread condemnation. All six Premier League clubs withdrew from the venture amid intense backlash, leaving the Spanish side as the only club still officially committed.

In April 2021 the so‑called Big Six of the Premier League initially signed a shareholders’ agreement for the Spain‑based European Super League Company, a move that sparked immediate outrage across the continent.

Legal and financial backdrop

The Athletic Real Madrid believe the English clubs should be liable for the set‑up costs, which could total as much as €80 million. President Florentino Perez said, "I'm not going to take my time to explain what a binding contract is here. But the fact is, the clubs can't leave."

Since the collapse, five other clubs – Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and Barcelona – have pulled out, leaving Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus as the only sides that shouldered the promotional outlay.

The dispute hinges on the wording of the original shareholders’ agreement, which obliges clubs to "jointly own and manage" the project. The leaked documents make no explicit mention of cost‑sharing, meaning a swift resolution appears unlikely.

Real Madrid are preparing to appoint Bernd Reichart, former CEO of A22 – the company that drove the Super League and later the Unify League plans – as their new head of business operations, a move that may shape how the club pursues the claim.

Comments Sport Nathan Ridley noted that while Real Madrid have rebuilt relations with UEFA, the club remains determined to recover what it views as a financial loss, signalling a potentially protracted legal battle.