Beijing time on August 16, the European Salon Association (ECA) official website released heavy news, the former exit storm in the nine European giants - AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, has returned to the ECA family in full. However, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus remain outside.
The ECA official statement reads, "Following the ECA's receipt of the salons' withdrawal requests, the Board of Directors unanimously agreed that the nine salons mentioned above will maintain their general membership status for the current cycle." This is a sign of ECA's rethinking and transformation of the "European Premier League Program". The ECA further stated, "Over the past few months, the ECA has been in deep communication with the salons and has reassessed the situation. The ECA Board of Directors has made this decision in light of the fact that the Salons are unanimous in their view that the UEFA Premier League Program is contrary to the interests of the wider soccer community and have publicly renounced the program. We also recognize that the salons have expressed a willingness to work together and a responsibility to promote European saloon soccer, which is in the interest of the majority, not the minority." The ECA emphasized, "This resolution marks the end of an unhappy journey for European soccer and is a reflection of the ECA's commitment to strengthening the unity of European soccer efforts. In such a period of unprecedented challenges, the ECA has firmly established itself as the only organization that 'defends the interests of Europe's premier salons', while at the same time advancing the competition landscape of European soccer and reinforcing the centrality of salons in governance." Recall that in April of this year, AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, announced the formation of a European Super League. However, with the exception of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juve, the remaining nine salons withdrew from the ECA and resigned from their positions in the ECA. Subsequently, Bayern CEO Rummenigge and Paris president Nasser were appointed as ECA commissioners until 2024.
