European Super League
Proposed annual football club competition
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Key Takeaways
- The Unify League ( UL ), previously known as the European Super League ( ESL ), was a proposed seasonal football competition for clubs in Europe.
- The initial iteration of the league entailed 20 teams, with 15 of them being founding members of the competition.
- In February 2026, Real Madrid withdrew from the competition.
- The other founders, Andrea Agnelli (chairman of Juventus), Joel Glazer (co-owner of Manchester United), John W.
- By 2023, Pérez and Joan Laporta (president of Barcelona) remained the strongest advocates of the UL.
The Unify League (UL), previously known as the European Super League (ESL), was a proposed seasonal football competition for clubs in Europe. It was supposed to be organised by the European Super League Company SL, a commercial enterprise created to rival or replace the UEFA Champions League. The initial iteration of the league entailed 20 teams, with 15 of them being founding members of the competition. At the end of 2025, following FC Barcelona's withdrawal, Real Madrid remained in the competition. In February 2026, Real Madrid withdrew from the competition.
The leadership behind the UL was Florentino Pérez (president of Real Madrid). The other founders, Andrea Agnelli (chairman of Juventus), Joel Glazer (co-owner of Manchester United), John W. Henry (owner of Liverpool) and Stan Kroenke (owner of Arsenal), withdrew shortly thereafter in the face of rejection by their clubs. By 2023, Pérez and Joan Laporta (president of Barcelona) remained the strongest advocates of the UL.
The European Super League announcement in April 2021 was met with significant opposition from various groups: fans, players, managers and football clubs. The league also faced opposition from UEFA, FIFA and some national governments. Critics of the league raised concerns regarding potential exclusivity and reduced competitiveness within the ESL, as the league would consist of high-ranking teams from selected European countries who would be permanent contestants in a semi-closed league format.
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