The Super League Dream Dies a Death: Laporta Jumps Ship
Barcelona president Laporta officially abandons the European Super League project, leaving Florentino Pérez as the last man standing in what's become a hollow crusade.
Barcelona finally stop pretending they’re still interested in the European Super League, as Joan Laporta makes his break-up with Florentino Pérez official.
The End of a ‘Special Relationship’
What we’ve all seen coming for months has finally happened. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has officially pulled the plug on the club’s involvement with the European Super League project, leaving Real Madrid’s Florentino Pérez looking like Billy No Mates in his continued pursuit of the breakaway competition.
Laporta had been playing both sides of the fence for a while now, cozying up to UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and La Liga boss Javier Tebas while still nominally supporting his Madrid counterpart’s pet project. Talk about having your cake and eating it!
From Revolution to Damp Squib
Remember when the Super League was announced back in April 2021? It was meant to be football’s big revolution - the cream of European football breaking away to form their own elite competition. But the whole thing collapsed faster than a house of cards in a hurricane when the Premier League clubs bottled it after fan backlash.
Since then, it’s been on life support, with only Barcelona and Real Madrid still clinging to the concept after Juventus also jumped ship. Now it’s just Florentino flying solo.
Political Manoeuvring
Let’s be honest - Laporta’s support was always paper-thin. He’s been playing a blinder, appearing to back Florentino while simultaneously rebuilding bridges with football’s establishment. Classic politics from the Barça president, who’s been more concerned with sorting out the club’s financial dog’s dinner than genuinely pushing for a new competition.
What Next?
For Real Madrid and Florentino, this is another nail in the coffin of what critics have always described as a vanity project. The Super League has gone from being football’s next big thing to something of a running joke in boardrooms across Europe.
Without Barcelona’s backing, even the symbolic value of having multiple big clubs involved has evaporated. The “European Super League Company” now looks about as super as my Sunday five-a-side team after a heavy Saturday night out.