"It's just about vindication for one club" - Atletico Madrid CEO aims dig at Real Madrid over Super League plans

Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has seemingly hit out at city rivals Real Madrid over their Super League plans. He questioned the existence of the Super League (now called the Unify League) after the recent changes in the UEFA Champions League format.

In 2021, 12 European giants came together to lay the brickwork for the Super League. The clubs were Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus. However, Atletico, along with many other members, eventually withdrew from the original Super League.

Among the initial founding members, only Barcelona and Real Madrid are still part of the Super League, which has now been rebranded as Unify League. According to the revised proposal, the league will include 96 clubs across four divisions. The winner will play 18 games in total, including the knockout stages.

Speaking about the Super League in an interview with the club's in-house media, Gil Marin seemingly launched a scathing attack on Real Madrid and questioned the existence of the Super League. He said (as quoted by GOAL):

"At one time (the Super League) was a project based on a closed league, which would protect a few, and put the European football pyramid in danger.

"Now it's just about vindication for one club, in its stubborn fight against the system. I honestly believe the best way to change things that you don't agree with is doing so from within. From the outside, however, big the club is, the only thing you achieve is creating uncertainty for television channels and sponsors, and with that, slow down the growth of the competitions in their current formats."

Talking about the alleged financial disparity between the big clubs, he said:

"UEFA and the European Club Association, which represent the system, have adapted their competitions with the aim of allowing clubs from more countries to participate, thanks to the three European competitions: the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League. And at the same time, they've ensured that the big clubs make more money."

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Real Madrid CEO aims dig at UEFA while talking about the Super League plans

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid CF - La Liga Santander - Source: Getty

Real Madrid CEO Jose Angel Sanchez has criticized UEFA while highlighting the importance of the Super League (aka the Unify League).

After founding the Super League in 2021, the founding clubs received widespread criticism from fans across the world, leading to many European giants pulling out.

UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the three remaining clubs following the mass withdrawal - Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus. According to the organisation, the clubs violated its principles of Statutes and Club Licensing by attempting to create a breakaway league.

Surprisingly, the European Court of Justice ruled in favour of the Super League, claiming that its formation didn't violate UEFA's terms. Shortly after, Juventus withdrew from the Super League, leaving only the two Spanish giants.

Real Madrid CEO Angel Sanchez explained the rationale behind the Super League's formation (quoted by GOAL):

“If we want to preserve football’s leadership position in the sport and entertainment industry, we have to change the system. The current governing bodies are like the musicians on the Titanic, who kept playing even when the ship went under.

"The system as we know it is over – we need to organize things differently in the industry. That was the rationale behind the Super League and it is even more pressing now.”

A22, the firm managing the Unify League has claimed that they want the competition to be running by 2026, but it would first need the approval from UEFA.