Real Madrid News
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus contact more than 50 clubs over new European Super League
Around two years after the European Super League project was thrashed, the founding clubs, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are again making moves to revamp and relaunch the competition, reports The Telegraph.
The backers of the rogue league have revealed that the plan is to create a new competition involving 60-80 teams to replace the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s premier footballing tournament.
The announcement was made in various European newspapers by A22, the Madrid-based sister company of the Super League.
The project, led by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, had been dealt a blow in December when the European Court of Justice had made a ruling in favour of maintaining UEFA’s supremacy.
However, led by new CEO Bernd Reichart, the Super League has now proposed a new format for the tournament that would involve around 60-80 teams, although details of the same have been kept under wraps.
The report states that the three clubs have already made contact with over 50 teams regarding the participation in the Super League project.
The European Super League have been targeting the Premier League’s affluence, claiming that leagues without lucrative television deals are struggling to compete with the English top flight.
And with their project, the ESL have previously alleged that they would provide greater solidarity payments to clubs not participating in European competitions to help them financially.
The first iteration of the ESL, which was widely slammed, was launched in 2021 and was formatted to be a closed competition among some elite clubs in Europe.
But with the league now floating the idea of a 60-80 club tournament, it will be interesting to see the response to the latest idea.
As per the report, it will be ‘a multi-division competition of 60 to 80 teams with no permanent members, and a minimum of 14 games per club, per season.’
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
