Barcelona president Joan Laporta said the club quit the European Super League to "rejoin the football family."

Published 5 months ago on Feb 17th 2026, 6:00 am
By Web Desk
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said the club quit the European Super League to "rejoin the football family" and because of an "uncomfortable" relationship with Real Madrid.
Barça officially announced their withdrawal from the Super League on Saturday, leaving Madrid as the only remaining club from the 12 that launched the project in 2021.
The Catalan club's decision came after reestablishing relations with UEFA, the organisers of the Champions League, and the European Football Clubs (EFC) -- previously the European Club Association (ECA) -- in recent months.
"With UEFA, we have returned to the football family, definitively leaving the Super League," Laporta told Barça's official media channels.
"We have left because it's a project that could not be implemented. It had unravelled. There were only expenses and expenses; no benefits.
"The relationship with Real Madrid is not good and it was a permanently uncomfortable situation.
"Barça have acted correctly and with complete transparency. We are looking for sustainability in European football and want to contribute to the peace of football."
- Barcelona, Real Madrid's uneasy truce ends with Super League withdrawal
- Barcelona teen Marc Bernal hails 'dream' moment with first goal
- Barcelona's Hansi Flick backs Deco stay ahead of elections
The Super League originally launched in 2021 with the support of 12 of Europe's biggest clubs, but a fan backlash in England quickly saw the six Premier League teams -- Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur -- withdraw.
Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and, eventually, Juventus followed suit, leaving LaLiga sides Madrid and Barça as the lone faces of the project.
The two Clásico rivals continued to push the idea in recent years, which was rebranded and relaunched as the Unify League in 2024, without garnering any significant support.
Barça officially announced their withdrawal from the Super League on Saturday, leaving Madrid as the only remaining club from the 12 that launched the project in 2021.
The Catalan club's decision came after reestablishing relations with UEFA, the organisers of the Champions League, and the European Football Clubs (EFC) -- previously the European Club Association (ECA) -- in recent months.
"With UEFA, we have returned to the football family, definitively leaving the Super League," Laporta told Barça's official media channels.
"We have left because it's a project that could not be implemented. It had unravelled. There were only expenses and expenses; no benefits.
"The relationship with Real Madrid is not good and it was a permanently uncomfortable situation.
"Barça have acted correctly and with complete transparency. We are looking for sustainability in European football and want to contribute to the peace of football."
- Barcelona, Real Madrid's uneasy truce ends with Super League withdrawal
- Barcelona teen Marc Bernal hails 'dream' moment with first goal
- Barcelona's Hansi Flick backs Deco stay ahead of elections
The Super League originally launched in 2021 with the support of 12 of Europe's biggest clubs, but a fan backlash in England quickly saw the six Premier League teams -- Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur -- withdraw.
Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and, eventually, Juventus followed suit, leaving LaLiga sides Madrid and Barça as the lone faces of the project.
The two Clásico rivals continued to push the idea in recent years, which was rebranded and relaunched as the Unify League in 2024, without garnering any significant support.

WB approves $375.9mn to improve Pakistan's electricity distribution system
- 5 hours ago
Iran will respond against Israel if infrastructure attacked: security official
- 2 hours ago

If Microsoft sold off Xbox, who would even buy it?
- 17 hours ago

This jumping $800 robot camera dog filled me with joy
- 17 hours ago

How to tell your neighbor they’re annoying you
- 15 hours ago

Gaming laptops are too expensive right now, but this one’s a good value
- 17 hours ago
Hundreds welcome Salah's Egypt home after best World Cup run
- 2 hours ago

The Democrat everyone suddenly wants to believe in
- 15 hours ago

MAGA has a new villain: Amy Coney Barrett
- 15 hours ago

Bangladesh's Hasina plans December return with party colleagues to surrender
- 5 hours ago

Is Trump’s World Cup meddling a true scandal, or standard FIFA corruption?
- 15 hours ago

Meta is reportedly working on smart glasses that would be recording all the time
- 17 hours ago
You May Like
Trending

