Real Madrid want Manchester City to pay for a competition that never staged a match. The Spanish club are chasing the six English sides who signed up for the European Super League, seeking a share of costs put at up to €80 million (£67.3m).
A 72-hour wonder
The whole thing was over inside three days in spring 2021. City were among the first to walk away, doing so almost as quickly as they had joined. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham followed them out.
That, you would think, was that. Not for Real Madrid. Along with Barcelona and Juventus, they have carried the promotional costs since the plan was unveiled in April 2021. The breakaway has been repackaged more than once since, from a 64-club format in 2023 to the four-tier, 96-club 'Unify League' floated in 2024.
Now Madrid are adamant the six Premier League sides should still cover a share of the project's initial costs. They point to a shareholders' agreement signed with the European Super League Company, the Spain-based holding firm behind the venture. Any money owed is said to be due to that company. Signatories committed to 'jointly own and manage' the competition.
Pérez's binding contract
Florentino Pérez, the Real Madrid president, was in no doubt after the collapse. "I'm not going to take my time to explain what a binding contract is here," he said. "But the fact is, the clubs can't leave."
Madrid are also set to appoint Bernd Reichart, former chief executive of A22, the management company driving the project, to lead their business operations.
City and the other five English clubs have been invited to respond. They do so with the club already deep in the appeal against their Premier League financial verdict.
It is a curious kind of invoice. The Super League lasted 72 hours and never saw a ball kicked. Yet here we are, years later, with Madrid still trying to make the numbers add up.