What Happened to A22 Sports Management?

A22 Sports Management was established in 2021 with the explicit goal of sponsoring and assisting the creation of the European Super League (ESL), a breakaway competition intended to rival the UEFA Champions League. The initial launch of the ESL in April 2021, backed by 12 elite clubs, collapsed within 48 hours due to widespread fan protests, political opposition, and withdrawals from most participating clubs.

Following this initial failure, A22, a Madrid-based company, appointed Bernd Reichart as its CEO in October 2022. Reichart's mandate was to initiate an open dialogue with football stakeholders and develop a more sustainable sporting model for European club competitions, emphasizing an open format without permanent members. This marked a strategic shift from the original 'closed shop' concept that drew heavy criticism. A22's stated aims include improving pan-European competitions, enhancing fan experience, addressing financial instability at club level, and increasing investment in women's football.

A key turning point occurred on December 21, 2023, when the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered a landmark ruling. The CJEU stated that FIFA and UEFA had acted contrary to competition law by blocking plans for the Super League, effectively losing their monopoly over organizing international club competitions. This ruling was hailed by A22 as a victory for football clubs' freedom to organize new competitions.

In response to the CJEU ruling, A22 unveiled a revised proposal for a new competition, rebranded as the 'Unify League,' in December 2024. This new format proposed a multi-divisional structure with 96 men's teams across three leagues (Star, Gold, Blue) and 32 women's teams across two leagues, featuring annual promotion and relegation based on sporting merit. A central component of this proposal was a free, ad-supported streaming platform called 'Unify' to make matches accessible to fans. A22 formally submitted a letter requesting official recognition of the Unify League by UEFA in December 2024.

Despite these legal victories and new proposals, A22 has faced significant financial challenges. Its annual accounts filed in Spain revealed losses of €5.5 million for 2024, a substantial increase from €200,000 in 2023, and a sharp decline in revenue. This financial strain put the company in a position of technical bankruptcy under Spanish law as of August 2025. The company attributed these losses partly to investments in the Unify streaming platform.

Throughout 2025, A22 continued its legal offensive. In October 2025, a Spanish appeals court (Audiencia Provincial) further confirmed UEFA's abuse of its dominant position. By November 2025, A22 initiated compulsory legal procedures under Spanish law to commence a damage claim process against UEFA, seeking compensation for damages suffered due to UEFA's alleged abuse of its dominant position. A22 claimed that UEFA continued to maintain regulations contradicting judicial decisions, even introducing new rules in 2024 after the CJEU judgment.

As of early 2026, the situation remained fluid. A press release from A22 in February 2026 announced an 'agreement of principles' between UEFA, European Football Clubs (EFC), and Real Madrid CF for the well-being of European club football. However, by August 2026, reports indicated that Barcelona and Real Madrid, the last public proponents of the Super League concept, had quietly backed out in 2025 and 2026 respectively. This suggests that while broader discussions might occur, A22's specific Unify League proposal has lost its primary club backing. Despite this, A22 Sports Management remains active, continuing to pursue its legal claims against UEFA and advocating for its vision of a reformed European football landscape, though the immediate future of the Unify League remains uncertain without major club support.