BARCELONA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Barcelona have officially withdrawn from the European Super League project, the club announced on Saturday, leaving Real Madrid as the sole remaining advocate for a competition that once threatened briefly to rival UEFA's Champions League.
"FC Barcelona announces that today it has formally communicated to the European Super League Company and the clubs that have been part of it its withdrawal from the European Super League project," read the statement.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta had hinted in January that the club were ready to move on, urging would-be Super League clubs to "return to UEFA".
The project was conceived in 2021 with the aim of reshaping professional European club football to the benefit of the biggest and richest clubs.
But the concept of an elite closed-shop competition ran into immense fan protests, government pushback and staunch opposition from governing bodies, causing its effective collapse within days of its announcement.
The move aligns Barcelona with UEFA's current framework of competitions.
The project had already dwindled radically over the years. When Juventus, another founding member, left in July 2023, only Real Madrid and Barcelona remained of the original three Spanish, three Italian and six English clubs.
All six English Premier League clubs had pulled out rapidly in 2021 after heavy backlash.
The organisers tried to revive the idea in December 2024 with a new concept, the "Unify League", featuring 96 clubs split into four leagues. However, that too failed to garner substantial backing, with steadfast resistance from major leagues such as LaLiga and the Premier League.
Real Madrid, now the last club standing, continue to fight for the concept while seeking compensation from UEFA for blocking the original Super League's launch.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
