Joan Laporta names clubs ready to join revived Super League

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 03 February 2024

Barcelona president Joan Laporta names 15 clubs that he believes would be willing to join the revived European Super League project.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has named 15 clubs that he believes would be willing to join the revived European Super League project.

In December, A22 Sports unveiled revamped plans for a European Super League after the European Court of Justice said that banning clubs from joining a breakaway league was "unlawful."

FIFA and UEFA threatened sanctions to clubs involved, which saw the case head to the European Court of Justice, with A22 Sports - the backers of the original ESL - receiving a positive outcome.

The European Court of Justice ruled that any attempt to ban players from playing in a breakaway competition such as the Super League would be "unlawful".

Revamped plans for a new European Super League were announced by A22 Sports late last year, with the proposal a league system with 64 men's clubs across three leagues, and despite major clubs including Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, in addition to teams from the Premier League, insisting that they will not be involved, Laporta has said that there is interest from a number of clubs.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta speaks during the board meeting on September 13, 2023 © Reuters

The Barcelona president has named Real Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Napoli, Roma, Marseille, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, Porto, Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven, Club Brugge and Anderlecht as the clubs in question.

"Whether or not the English come, I don't care. They already have a Superliga with the Premier League," Laporta said during an interview with RAC1.

"In addition to Barca and Madrid, there would be the Italians: Inter, Milan, Napoli and Roma. Also French teams such as Olympique de Marseille, and the three Portuguese, Sporting, Benfica and Porto, who would be delighted to come.

"And there are the Dutch teams (Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV) and Bruges and Anderlecht from Belgium. A 16-team competition would be better... any team in La Liga, except Atletico Madrid.

"The players, the agents, UEFA and the state clubs are getting rich, they are playing wherever they want, while the clubs are ruining us. We are not getting enough, from the Europe's top competition."

Barcelona president Joan Laporta before the match in November 2021 © Reuters

Meanwhile, A22 Sports Co-founder Anas Laghrari recently said that as many as 20 clubs had already expressed a desire to join the competition.

"I don't want to say their names because I don't want to expose them,' Laghrari told Ouest-France. "Since December 21, we have spoken with around 50 different clubs. About 20 of them are very, very motivated by the project. We already have enough clubs to start a competition.

"We are very busy talking to different clubs, fan associations, players and people who are involved in football on a day-to-day basis.

"They all call us to better understand this project because, since it is possible and legal to propose an alternative, the actors want to work. We can work together to improve football."

The original plans for the European Super League were put forward in April 2021, but the proposed division quickly collapsed due to the fierce reaction from a number of areas, including football supporters.