Teams Fined $31.1M for Joining Super League

The six English teams that joined the Super League have closed the book on that embarrassing chapter, and all it cost was $31.1 million. 

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham agreed to a settlement with the Premier League in which they’ll pay about $5.2 million per squad. The funds will go toward grassroots and community soccer programs, among other initiatives. 

Any team that joins another breakaway league will be fined an additional $35.3 million and penalized 30 league points. The point deduction would be sure to knock a team out of the Champions League and could even risk relegation.

Those six teams, plus AC Milan, Internazionale, and Atletico Madrid, previously agreed to a separate settlement with the UEFA, in which they’ll pool together $18.3 million, plus 5% of their UEFA match revenue for one season.

The settlements and the Premier League’s $7.2 billion broadcast rights deal with Sky (for three seasons starting in 2022) will help bring a fresh start after the pandemic and Super League fiasco. It remains to be seen if these developments will quell fan rancor.

American owners Stan Kroenke (Arsenal) and the Glazer family (Manchester United) have both faced fan protests calling for their ousters, but neither seems inclined to sell their team.

Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona are still clinging to their Super League memberships, despite threats of bans from the Champions League and, in Juventus’ case, from Serie A, should they refuse to back out.