Real Madrid expect six Premier League clubs that were involved in the European Super League, including Chelsea, to pay a share of the failed project’s initial costs, according to reports.

Chelsea left the European Super League (ESL) project in April 2021, just a week after they signed up as one of the 12 founding club members, following backlash from fans and other clubs.

Chelsea’s statement at the time read: “Having joined the group late last week, we have now had time to consider the matter fully and have decided that our continued participation in these plans would not be in the best interests of the club, our supporters or the wider football community.”

The other Premier League clubs, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur, along with Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan, also pulled out soon after the launch of the project.

Juventus only abandoned the proposal in 2023, while Barcelona formally withdrew in February this year. Days after Barcelona’s withdrawal, UEFA, Real Madrid, and the European Football Clubs group reached an agreement that finally marked the end of the ESL.

According to The Athletic, however, these three clubs, Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, have shared promotional costs for the ESL. The costs are reported to be as high as €80 million (£67.3m)

This is where it gets tricky. While the other nine clubs quit early, they are said to have signed up to a shareholders’ agreement for the European Super League company, a holding company based in Spain. 

Real Madrid believe these nine clubs should still be liable for the initial costs of the project despite their swift withdrawals.

The Athletic mentions that whether Chelsea and the other clubs are legally bound to pay a share of the costs is likely to be determined by the interpretation of the contract’s wording. Specifically, whether clubs agreeing to “jointly own and manage” the project covers financial obligations.

It is hard to tell if Chelsea and the other clubs that left the group early will willingly agree to pay their shares of the costs, given their minimal roles in continuing the fight for ESL for almost five years.

In Chelsea's case, the club have also changed hands since then, with BlueCo acquiring the club in May 2022. Chelsea signed the ESL agreement under Roman Abramovich.

There is a possibility that Real Madrid may have to sue these clubs for their financial contributions. Whether it would be worth the potential costs of the consequent legal fights is another story.

Based on the reported initial costs of the ESL, each club member would also only have to contribute roughly £5.6m, even if they agreed to pay. This sum would be rather insignificant for these top clubs.