Florentino Pérez’s Superliga, a timeline from launch to demise | OneFootball

Real Madrid have formally abandoned the Superliga after 1,760 days, agreeing on Wednesday with UEFA and the now EFC to end the breakaway, weeks after signalling a €4,500 million damages claim.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, it began on 18 April 2021 when 12 clubs unveiled a 16-team closed league with reserved places for PSG, Bayern, Dortmund and one more.

Fan fury and pressure from Boris Johnson saw all six English founders withdraw, followed by Atlético, Inter and Milan. Within 48 hours only Juventus, Barça and Real Madrid remained, and the plan collapsed.

A Madrid court moved the dispute to the EU Court in May 2021 to test UEFA and FIFA’s dominance. In June 2023 Juventus quit, leaving Barça and Real Madrid alone.

In December 2023 judges ruled UEFA had acted without a prior process, a limited win for the project, while confirming UEFA could set conditions for new federated competitions.

Minutes later the organisers flipped to an open, three-tier model with promotion and relegation and promised free streaming. UEFA, meanwhile, reshaped Europe for 2024 with a 36-team Champions League and improved revenue sharing.

A trademark fight with Denmark’s league forced the abandonment of the Superliga name in March 2024, later rebranded as Liga Unify. Barcelona’s October 2025 return to UEFA delivered the final blow, and Florentino Pérez accepted defeat.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo