Reports said Real Madrid want Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to contribute toward the setup costs of the failed European Super League project. The costs could amount to €80 million in total and cover the promotional and legal preparation of the project.
Madrid's position
According to The Athletic, Real Madrid believe the six English clubs remain legally responsible for the initial costs of founding the European Super League despite their swift withdrawal in April 2021.
Florentino Perez said: "I will not waste my time explaining what a binding contract is here, but the truth is that the clubs cannot withdraw."
Who has carried the bill
GOAL says the bill has so far been shouldered only by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.
SI says Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are thought to have been sharing the financial burden up to this point.
SI says the total could amount to as much as $89.9 million.
Withdrawals from the project
Of the 12 founding clubs of the Super League, nine withdrew just days after the announcement: the six English clubs plus Atletico Madrid, Milan and Inter Milan.
Within three days of the 18 April 2021 announcement, all six Premier League clubs had publicly withdrawn from the proposal.
Contracts and later moves
GOAL says every club signed a shareholders' agreement for the "European Super League" company, a holding company based in Spain, which included a commitment to "own and manage" the project jointly.
GOAL says Madrid's lawyers argue that the phrase "own and manage" implicitly includes a financial commitment to pay the costs.
GOAL says the English clubs consider that their obligation ended with their public apology and the absence of any explicit mention of money in the leaked contracts.
GOAL says Real Madrid are preparing to appoint Bernd Reichart, the former chief executive of Super League promoter A22, as their new head of commercial operations once he concludes his work at the company.
GOAL says Real Madrid had declared a truce with UEFA and that there was "the freezing" of the Super League plans, along with its new project "Unify League".
GOAL says "Unify League" comprised 96 clubs across four tiers.