Super League in limbo

The European Super League is on “standby” despite nine of the 12 founding teams withdrawing, says Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Talk about an about face after a wicked week for European sport.

All six Premier League clubs interested in starting a super league suddenly withdrew on Tuesday.

Spanish club Atletico Madrid and Italian sides AC Milan and Inter Milan have also formally pulled out.

“We’re going to continue working,” said Perez. “The project is on standby.”

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have not withdrawn from the ESL, although Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli said the project could not now proceed. 

Barcelona president Joan Laporta agrees with Perez, calling for a new competition to ensure the future of the game.

“We will speak more about it when the time comes but for now we understand there is a need for it, even though our members will have the final say,” Laporta told Catalan network TV3.

“Big clubs contribute a lot of resources and it’s absolutely necessary that we have our say on the distribution of money [in European football].”