Manchester United’s ownership has faced years of criticism from supporters over the club’s financial decisions and long-term direction.

Few episodes generated as much anger as the club’s involvement in the proposed European Super League in April 2021.

The breakaway competition threatened to fundamentally change European football, with some of the continent’s biggest clubs planning a tournament that would protect founding members from the risk of missing out.

United supporters were among those who strongly opposed the proposal, with protests against the Glazer family intensifying in the aftermath.

Former United captain Gary Neville was also outspoken in his criticism, describing the plans as driven by greed and demanding accountability from the clubs involved.

The backlash ultimately forced all six participating Premier League clubs to withdraw within days of the announcement.

However, more than five years after that controversial episode, Manchester United could face a fresh financial headache as Real Madrid seek compensation from the English clubs involved.

Real Madrid demand Manchester United to pay share of €80m

According to The Athletic, Madrid believe United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur should contribute towards the initial costs of establishing the abandoned European Super League.

The combined expenses could reach €80 million (£67.3 million), although the amount each club might be expected to pay has not been confirmed.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have reportedly shared promotional costs associated with the project since its collapse.

The original proposal was announced on 18 April 2021 by 12 founding clubs, who intended to create a breakaway competition featuring Europe’s leading teams.

Under the proposed structure, 15 founding members would have permanent places, raising concerns that the competition would undermine sporting merit and domestic leagues.

Manchester United withdrew on 20 April 2021 following intense opposition.

Joel Glazer subsequently apologised to supporters, acknowledging that the club had made a mistake by joining the project.

The other English clubs followed suit, while Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan also abandoned their involvement.

Juventus announced its withdrawal in 2023, and Barcelona formally exited in February 2026 which ended it completely.

The latest dispute centres on the shareholders’ agreement signed by the founding clubs with European Super League Company, a holding company based in Spain.

The key question is whether the agreement’s requirement for clubs to jointly own and manage the project also obliges them to cover its initial costs, even after withdrawing.

The legal backdrop is complicated.

In December 2023, the European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA and FIFA’s previous rules governing the authorisation of rival competitions breached EU law because they lacked adequate safeguards.

However, the judgment did not automatically approve the European Super League or settle the financial obligations between its founding clubs.

The possibility of further costs could revive uncomfortable questions about the judgement exercised by United’s leadership in 2021, when the club’s involvement in the failed project sparked one of the fiercest supporter backlashes.