KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTING —- Nine of the 12 clubs involved in the Super League fiasco have agreed to pay financial penalties to be welcomed back into the European club family by governing body UEFA.

However the three refuseniks – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – risk formal disciplinary sanctions.

The nine are Arsenal, Milan, Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, Internazionale, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.

UEFA president, Aleksander Čeferin said:  “I said at the UEFA Congress two weeks ago that it takes a strong organisation to admit making a mistake especially in these days of trial by social media. These clubs have done just that.

“In accepting their commitments and willingness to repair the disruption they caused, UEFA wants to put this chapter behind it and move forward in a positive spirit.

‘Contrition’

“The measures announced are significant, but none of the financial penalties will be retained by UEFA. They will all be reinvested into youth and grassroots football in local communities across Europe, including the UK.

“These clubs recognised their mistakes quickly and have taken action to demonstrate their contrition and future commitment to European football. The same cannot be said for the clubs that remain involved in the so-called ‘Super League’ and UEFA will deal with those clubs subsequently.”

A UEFA statement explained the ‘soft’ punishments for the nine said:

In a spirit of reconciliation, and for the good of European football, nine of the 12 clubs involved in the so-called ‘Super League’ project submitted to UEFA a ‘Club Commitment Declaration’ setting out the position of the Clubs, including their commitment to UEFA Club Competitions as well as national club competitions.

UEFA convened an Emergency Panel of its Executive Committee, which took into due consideration the spirit and the content of the Club Commitment Declaration and decided to approve various actions, measures and commitments made by the clubs.

A formal confirmation of the commitments and the manner of the clubs’ reintegration and participation in UEFA Club Competitions has been agreed between and signed by UEFA and those nine clubs.

The nine clubs had been forced to eat humble pie. They had formally acknowledged that the Super League project was a mistake and had apologised to fans, national associations, national leagues, fellow European clubs and UEFA.

ECA return

They had also recognised that the project would not have been authorised under UEFA regulations and would rejoin the European Club Association, “which is the only representative body for clubs that UEFA recognises .”

They have agreed to terminate their involvement in the Super League company.

Financially, they make a donation “totalling an aggregate of €15m for the benefit of children, youth and grassroots football in local communities across Europe, including the UK” and will miss out on 5pc of the revenues they would have received from UEFA club competitions for one season.

UEFA added: “[They] agree to have substantial fines imposed if they seek to play in such an unauthorised competition (€100 million) or if they breach any other commitment they have entered into in the Club Commitment Declaration (€50m).”

As for the other three, UEFA said it “reserved all rights to take whatever action it deems appropriate against those clubs that have so far refused to renounce the so-called ‘Super League’. The matter will promptly be referred to the competent UEFA disciplinary bodies.”

ECA statement:

After unified condemnation from the global football community, the European Club Association has worked closely with UEFA ahead of the announcement today by nine of the twelve clubs involved in founding the so-called Super League.

The nine clubs have renounced the project, apologised for their actions and reaffirmed their commitments to engage with ECA and with the official structures of European football under the governance of UEFA.

This decision comes following strong alignment between ECA and UEFA over recent days and weeks on how to manage the disruption caused by the ill-fated project.

The ECA Executive Board will now decide upon arrangements with these clubs going forwards.

As the only legitimate representative body for clubs recognised by UEFA, ECA will continue to pursue our efforts alongside UEFA and other football stakeholders in shaping the future of the European game, the importance of which is more vital now than ever.

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