Real Madrid and UEFA arrive at settlement in Super League row

The controversy over the European Super League seems to be reaching its conclusion after Real Madrid, the final team holding out in the doomed alternative competition, and UEFA revealed on Wednesday a deal designed to end their courtroom battle.

The Spanish powerhouse, led by president Florentino Perez who has persistently advocated for the Super League concept, along with organisers A22 Sports Management, had demanded four billion dollars in compensation from the continent's football authority UEFA following the initiative's downfall.

"UEFA, the European Football Clubs (EFC, the only independent organisation speaking for football teams across Europe) and Real Madrid CF have forged a pact for the benefit of European club football," stated a joint release from Real Madrid and UEFA.

"These foundational terms will also address their ongoing legal conflicts concerning the European Super League, once they are formally enacted and applied."

The announcement from Real Madrid and UEFA highlighted that their arrangement focuses on "upholding the idea of merit in sport with a strong commitment to the ongoing viability of clubs" and "improving the supporter's engagement via technological advancements".

Just last week, Spanish title holders Barcelona declared their exit from the Super League, a venture unveiled by twelve teams in 2021 that soon crumbled amid overwhelming backlash from supporters and official bodies.

Soon after the largely exclusive Super League plan emerged, the six Premier League sides participating, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea, pulled out entirely.

Four additional teams, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus, made similar moves by 2024, isolating Barcelona and Real Madrid as the last holdouts.

Following a ruling from a Spanish court that deemed the resistance from global and continental football overseers FIFA and UEFA as stifling open rivalry, Madrid and A22 prepared to sue UEFA.

An insider familiar with the situation informed AFP that the Wednesday disclosure marks "a landmark pact" and the start "of an era of harmony" advantageous to everyone concerned.

In 2022, UEFA opted to broaden the Champions League to include 36 squads and roll out a unified league format, placing every team in one standings list while boosting fixtures from six to eight per side, effective from the 2024/25 campaign.