A judicial and media white flag achieved after losing allies and after nine months of conversations, pressures, and threats, in which Real Madrid has decided to pause its claim of 4,000 million euros for damages and prejudices, conditioned to the implementation of a "definitive agreement," according to the joint statement issued yesterday by Real Madrid, UEFA, and the European Club Association (ECA). A text, a few last months, and a future agreement that must be analysed in detail.
During the Christmas lunch with the media, held last December in Valdebebas, Florentino stated, "We are not going to give up on the significant damages and prejudices owed to us by UEFA for the Super League. We will claim." What has changed?
At the time of that speech, where he still held his weapons high, the president of Real Madrid was already engaged in a three-way negotiation with Ceferin and Al-Khelaifi to try to reach a compromise in this five-year trench warfare. Even Real Madrid congratulated PSG and its president for the Intercontinental Cup won by the French at the end of the year. Messages that now take on special meaning.
This negotiation table, where Joan Laporta or any representative of Barcelona were not present, has been the turning point to achieve a peace that seemed impossible three months ago. Throughout 2025, representatives of Real Madrid, the Super League, and UEFA met unsuccessfully on eight occasions amid judicial rulings. Anas Laghrari, a trusted man of Florentino, and José Ángel Sánchez, the club's general director, were the voices of Real Madrid, while Teodoro Teodoridis, UEFA's general secretary, represented Ceferin's entity, and Bernd Reichard, as CEO, represented A22. No agreement was reached.
Meanwhile, the courts ruled in favour of Real Madrid's interests, although the club remained isolated in that battle from a media perspective. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the Provincial Court of Madrid issued judgments confirming the "abuse of dominant position" by UEFA for not allowing the creation of new competitions. Two judgments that opened the possibility of a multimillion-euro lawsuit. The focus shifted from the Super League to money.
Therefore, on November 21, A22 initiated the procedures for claims for damages and prejudices, which could reach 4,000 million euros. In the midst of this mediation, the representatives at the negotiation table changed. They were no longer second-tier figures but the top leaders: Florentino, Ceferin, and Al-Khelaifi. UEFA saw no benefit in either a possible fine or a constant war against Real Madrid, and Real Madrid, having accepted that their new competition would not be created, could not afford to be constantly isolated and in conflict with most institutions.
This has led to the "principles agreement," as stated in the communication, a peculiar definition used and announced for Real Madrid to pause the multimillion-euro claim and cease hostilities while the negotiation table continues. "Until we reach that agreement, nothing is waived. Everything is conditioned on that future agreement," they admit at the Bernabéu, although outwardly the image is different.
Sources consulted by this newspaper at UEFA, Real Madrid, and A22 acknowledge that "a new window of dialogue" is now opening. A new negotiation table, but within the UEFA bubble and not in the trenches. There, and now without the intention of creating a competition but with a fine on the horizon, those at Chamartín want UEFA to be "much tougher" on Financial Fair Play, to "improve" the current format, and for the competition to be broadcast through a streaming platform accessible to everyone, free or at a low price, like the one used in the Club World Cup. The same as they have wanted in recent months when the still wounded Super League was alive.
But all these changes, whether implemented in the future or not, will now be part of the Champions League, not the Super League. "Without Real Madrid's pressure, the Champions League would not have changed," they insist at Valdebebas, but the Super League's towel is on the ground.