Juventus Seeks Reentry to ECA Following Super League Fallout

Juventus has requested to rejoin the European Club Association (ECA) after withdrawing from the proposed European Super League initiative. In 2021, Juventus was among the twelve clubs that initially signed up to establish the breakaway European Super League. Consequently, these twelve teams including six from the English Premier League were subsequently excluded from the ECA. However, nine of these clubs have since been reinstated with Juventus poised to become the tenth. This leaves only Barcelona and Real Madrid still pursuing the European Super League concept. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the chairman of ECA, emphasized the organization’s commitment to clubs supporting collective interests. Emphasizing progressive reform and collaborative engagement with stakeholders, he expressed optimism for Juventus rejoining the European football community.

Juventus initiated the process of withdrawing from the ESL in 2023, but their exit required approval from both Real Madrid and Barcelona. The request from Juventus to rejoin the ECA follows a ruling by a Spanish court in May, which deemed UEFA and FIFA’s ban on clubs from participating in the European Super League as unjust. The Madrid commercial court accused both European and world football governing bodies of engaging in anti-competitive behavior and abusing their dominant positions. However, UEFA clarified that the court’s ruling did not signify an endorsement of the ESL or support for any proposed initiatives.

The ESL project initially involved Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. It faced widespread backlash from fans across Europe in 2021 and collapsed within 72 hours. The outrage sparked by the proposed league highlighted the deep-rooted attachment fans have to traditional football structures and competitions. Despite the setback, Barcelona and Real Madrid have continued to express interest in establishing a breakaway league. They have taken the lead in revived plans proposing a revamped 64-club league.