When Family Calls: Al-Khelaifi Urges Real Madrid to Rejoin Football’s Fold After the Super League Debacle
11 October 2025
A Plea to Real Madrid: Youre Family Again
During the European Club Association's annual gathering in Rome, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Qatari president of Paris Saint-Germain, urged Real Madrid and Florentino Perez to return to football's family after the European Super League project collapsed.
He stressed that football is a family and that Real Madrid belongs there; he emphasized this is their home and that joining or leaving should reflect unity across clubs.
The Case Against an Extra Competition
Al-Khelaifi argued that there is no need for another competition since the current format of the top club competition is the best and most sustainable. Barcelona has similarly supported working within existing structures.
PSG recently won the Champions League, underscoring why the door for Real Madrid to rejoin was not surprising to many observers.
According to Goal, Al-Khelaifi suggested Real Madrid should abandon the idea of a separate European league after years of friction with UEFA.
The 2021 ESL proposal, which would have created a closed 20-team midweek competition, collapsed after significant backlash from fans, players, managers and political figures. Real Madrid remained the lone club still backing the concept.
Will Real Madrid Backtrack on the ESL?
Real Madrid, under Perez, has been among the leading proponents of a new European competition. Perez argues that football needs financial stability and reform, contending the current UEFA format is outdated and not yielding enough revenue or fan interest, especially among younger generations.
Even after the project's collapse, Real Madrid continues to push for the ESL, with supporters citing the need to address financial dominance in the English league and the broader health of European football.
Perez has described ESL as a necessity in the current era, while Jose Angel Sanchez, Real Madrid's chief executive, said the club would continue to explore the new competition, with hopes of implementing it in due course.
Barcelona's president Joan Laporta attended the Rome meeting and signaled a readiness for reconciliation, noting a good relationship with Nasser Al-Khelaifi and suggesting a return to UEFA processes and dialogue.
On the field, Bayern Munich lead the Champions League group with six points, tied on goal difference with Real Madrid in second place. Paris Saint-Germain sit third with six points, followed by Inter Milan, Arsenal and Qarabag.
Punchline 1: If football reforms were a sniper shot, this shot would aim true but the crowd would still cheer for a direct, simple goal.
Punchline 2: If Real Madrid really wants to save football, maybe they should start by inviting the fans to the table and bringing snacks, not just talks of big projects.
