Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have all rejoined the European Club Association just four months after leaving.
The three Premier League clubs each departed the association in April amid the European Super League plan, developments that saw huge backlash from a large number of fans.
Alongside Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, the six Premier League clubs involved quickly backtracked on the plans in the face of severe criticism and protests from supporters, whilst the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus all remain committed.
As a result of their decision to pull out, the European Club Association (ECA), the independent body representing clubs on the European stage, have made the decision to reinstate all clubs to their original membership, apart from those who are still involved in the European Super League project.
They confirmed that decision in a statement released on Monday afternoon.
It read: “Following the receipt by ECA of specific requests asking the ECA Board to consider the withdrawal of their previous resignation requests of April 2021, the ECA Executive Board has agreed that the following clubs will retain their ECA ordinary membership for the current 2019-23 ECA membership cycle: AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Club Atlético de Madrid, FC Internazionale Milano, Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, Manchester United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC.
“In its decision, and after an exhaustive process of re-engagement by the Clubs and re-assessment by ECA over recent months, the ECA Executive Board took into consideration the Clubs’ acknowledgement that the so-called European Super League project was not in the interests of the wider football community and their publicly communicated decisions to abandon said ESL Project completely.
“The ECA Board also acknowledged the Clubs’ stated willingness to engage actively with ECA in its collective mission to develop European club football – in the open and transparent interests of all, not the few.
“This decision of the ECA Board marks the end of a regrettable and turbulent episode for European football and aligns with ECA’s relentless focus to strengthen unity in European football.
“Through this period of unprecedented challenge, ECA has firmly established itself as the only organisation through which the leading clubs in Europe can promote and protect their interests in football, whilst also developing the competition landscape and reinforcing the centrality of clubs in the governance of European football.”
