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UEFA is facing separate legal battles worth a total of €4.5 billion as Real Madrid and A22, the company behind the European Super League, are suing the governing body in the wake of a court ruling. A22 have also sent a letter to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, demanding the controversial project be given full approval.

The €4.5bn lawsuit

According to , the European Super League’s organisers and Madrid are launching separate lawsuits against UEFA, arguing that the organisation's actions caused substantial financial harm to the divisive project. Attempts to block the competition, which aims to challenge the Champions League by pitting the continent's strongest teams against each other, were dashed when the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) determined in 2023 that UEFA and FIFA acted unlawfully by blocking the creation of the Super League. Then, in October, the Provincial Court of Madrid dismissed appeals lodged by UEFA, La Liga, and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), upholding the earlier judgment. 

In a new letter to UEFA, A22 warned of legal consequences should they refuse to adhere to that ruling and grant official approval within two months. 

"Despite our substantial concessions, no agreement has been reached," it read. "Consequently, we hereby reiterate our request for UEFA's formal acknowledgement of our proposal (amended to reflect the negotiations mentioned above) as soon as possible and, in any event, no later than eight weeks from the date of this letter."

Meanwhile, Madrid president Florentino Perez confirmed at the Annual General Meeting that the club will file their own lawsuit, which will take the entire claims against UEFA to €4.5bn.

AdvertisementAFPThe new proposed format

The Super League was originally launched with 12 founding clubs as a closed competition, immediately sparking backlash across Europe. Following intense criticism and negotiations with UEFA, the organisers introduced several major reforms to reshape the project into a more open and competitive model. The revised format proposed expanding the competition to 36 clubs, divided into two groups of 18 in a “Super-Champions” style league, with the top teams advancing to the knockout stages. Governance reforms were also put forward, including a new board composed of participating clubs, UEFA or the European Football Council, and player representatives. Significantly, three player delegates would have voting power on crucial matters such as revenue distribution and competition format. A22 additionally suggested creating a unified digital platform called 'Unify' to stream free football content to fans worldwide. 

Despite these amendments, UEFA ultimately rejected the proposals, sparking further action from Madrid and A22.

Madrid left alone in the fight

The Super League project, launched in 2021 by giants such as Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, collapsed almost immediately under massive fan protests and strong pressure from football authorities. The English clubs withdrew within days, leaving Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus as the project's remaining supporters. Over time, however, Juventus and Barcelona’s stances shifted. With UEFA introducing a new Champions League format that promises higher revenues, improved competitiveness and several structural adjustments, the Italian side pulled out in June 2024, three years before the other teams withdrew, and Barcelona followed in October this year. The Catalan side's exit leaves their Clasico rivals as the last remaining team still publicly advocating for the Super League.

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Getty ImagesMadrid looking to get back to winning ways

UEFA will look to find common ground with A22 and Madrid before granting official recognition to the revamped Super League. Fans will hope that a solution emerges that serves the broader interests of football. Meanwhile, Madrid are set to host Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Los Blancos aiming to return to winning ways after suffering a loss and two draws in recent games against Liverpool, Rayo Vallecano and Elche.

No thrilling finish but draw with Gloucestershire is enough for Foxes combined with stalemate at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025There was no thrilling finale on the field but Leicestershire could celebrate nonetheless after securing the draw with Gloucestershire that, in the event, ensured their promotion to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.With two fixtures still to play, the result at the Uptonsteel County Ground combined with the draw between Middlesex and Derbyshire at Lord’s guarantees that Leicestershire will finish in the top two in Division Two and end a 22-year-exile from the top division.Set 316 to win from a minimum 74 overs when Gloucestershire, who felt their outside chance of a promotion required them to win here, declared four overs before lunch on 175 for 3 in their second innings, Leicestershire were 93 for 1 from 30.3 when the afternoon’s third interruption for rain proved heavy enough for the final day’s play to be abandoned at around 4.10pm.It is a first promotion for Leicestershire since the County Championship adopted its current two-division format in 2000. Led for most of the season by Australian international Peter Handscomb – now back home preparing for his domestic season – Leicestershire have been the dominant side in Division Two all season after winning five of their first seven matches and suffering only one defeat.They last played in Division One in 2003 and have since become almost perpetual stragglers, finishing bottom of DivisionTwo on eight occasions. In four of those, the last as recently as 2022, they failed to register a single victory, famously going 37 matches over 933 days without a Championship win between September 2012 and June 2015.Leicestershire, whose next target is to secure the points they need to guarantee they are crowned Division Two champions, went into the final day in the comfortable knowledge that while a victory would seal the deal in terms of confirming promotion, a draw might do it anyway depending on the result at Lord’s, or at worst leave them needing minimal gains from their final two fixtures.Gloucestershire’s need for a win, therefore, put the onus on them to set up a finish, to which end they added 165 in 21 overs before declaring just before lunch, setting the home side 316 to win in a minimum 74 overs.Against a Leicestershire attack that was a man down because of Ben Mike’s ongoing hamstring problems, 21-year-old opener Joe Phillips further enhanced his growing reputation with an unbeaten 69 from 73 balls.Ben Charlesworth cleared the midwicket boundary off Logan van Beek and landed back-to-back sixes off Chris Wright in his 56-ball 61 before a miscue to deep third man ended his charge. Ian Holland limited Ollie Price to just 8 but Miles Hammond plundered another 28 from 26 before top-edging into the off side, Holland veering away in his follow-through to be under the ball when it came down.Gloucestershire asked Leicestershire to face four overs before lunch possibly more in hope than expectation. The wicket of Sol Budinger perhaps came as a bonus, the opener making no attempt to rein in his natural attacking instincts but perishing after just 13 deliveries, tempted by a widish ball from Ajeet Singh Dale despite having collected three boundaries already and picking out the fielder at wide third.The visitors’ cause was not helped by showers after lunch, which eventually washed out 43.3 overs of the scheduled 74.Yet there never seemed enough jeopardy in the fourth-day surface to make 10 wickets a realistic possibility. Rishi Patel finished unbeaten on 42 with acting captain Holland on 27. Gloucestershire’s frustration was cushioned a little by taking 15 points for the draw, but the gap between themselves and second-placed Glamorgan remains at more than 30 points.

Earlier this week Rob Manfred revealed that there was talk around Major League Baseball about the possibility of a dramatic new rule change called the "Golden At-Bat." Reactions to the very possibility of this new wrinkle have been strong with Ken Rosenthal calling the idea "extreme" and Michael Kay telling fans they had to get their heads out of their butts.

On Wednesday's episode of they played an old clip of Stugotz pitching an incredibly similar idea called the "Magic At-Bat" to Manfred on the show years ago. (They also played a clip of Stugotz from August 2014 when he first mentioned the idea on-air.)

Manfred and Le Batard both called it a waste of the commissioner's time, but Stugotz persisted until Manfred gave what he called a "really serious answer" about the suggestion. Manfred mentioned some [then] recent rule changes before saying this:

"When you make those changes I think it's always important to ask yourself the question as to whether you are interfering with the history and the traditions of the game and I think the suggestion that you just floated falls squarely in the category of ."

The Le Batard crew is now trying to figure out how to protect Stugotz's intellectual property. What a time to be alive.

The weekend of European soccer brought plenty of drama, and GOAL US unpacks the main storylines from the Premier League, La Liga, and other top competitions in The Euro XI.

So, Liverpool can surely kiss the Premier League goodbye, right? After a 3-0 loss to Man City, the defending champions look finished. They now sit eighth, eight points off the top, and there’s little sign they can rediscover their swagger. It’s a strange place for title holders to find themselves.

But it's not the only bit of drama from the Prem last weekend. Points dropped elsewhere should have meant that Arsenal could kick on at the top of the table. Instead, they drew against newly-promoted Sunderland. And lower down the table, Manchester United and Tottenham delivered on the magnitude of the occasion with a mad last 15 minutes. 

Other top leagues in Europe delivered their share of drama, too. Real Madrid’s scoreless draw was a reminder they’re far from runaway title favorites. Barcelona had to grind past Celta Vigo, and perhaps most shockingly, Bayern dropped points.

GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.

Getty Images SportLiverpool's title hopes fade

Title race over, then? Liverpool were always going to have some growing pains – it's what happens when you sign 10,000 new players – but could anyone have expected this? The Etihad is a really tough stadium to play at, and Liverpool went to the home of their rivals and simply crumbled. The 3-0 scoreline flattered Manchester City, which is pretty damning in a game of such a magnitude. 

AdvertisementAFPCity find their form

And then, there's the other side to things. Pep Guardiola managed his 1,000th game Sunday evening. He actually tied his first. This one couldn't really have been more convincing of a win. For all of Liverpool's shortcomings, City were simply magnificent, full of attacking verve and intent. Erling Haaland was quiet, so Jeremy Doku decided to take over. He completed seven dribbles, tortured Liverpool's defense, and bagged an audacious goal to finish it off. And now, they might just be in the title race. 

Getty Images SportArsenal hit a bump in the road

Was Saturday’s result a setback in the Gunners’ chase for their first Premier League title since 2003? It might prove to be if Arsenal keep struggling like this. To be fair, a trip to Sunderland was always going to be tricky – the Stadium of Light tends to shine on occasions like this, and the Black Cats have enjoyed a fantastic start to the season. But Arsenal didn’t rise to the moment. They were muscled out of the contest and, truthfully, a bit fortunate to escape with a 2-2 draw. Then again, they would’ve lost these games in the past – and this season, a draw away to a newly promoted side somehow feels like a point gained.

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GettyDan Ballard, back for revenge

A word, briefly, for Dan Ballard. The center back was supposed to be part of Arsenal's new era. For 12 years, he was in the Gunners' youth setup, and every bit the kind of central defender that seemed ready to anchor a defensive line long term. But like so many, he never took the step up in time. Ballard landed at Sunderland, and, in a center back-y kind of way, battered his boyhood club. Ballard scored one, assisted another, and made a truly remarkable block in stoppage time to save a point. It's hard to recall a better individual showing this season. 

Ten teams will be competing for four spots in the World Cup proper

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2025Nepal is set to host the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier, which will be held from January 12 to February 2 next year. The matches will be held at the Lower Mulpani Cricket Stadium and the Upper Mulpani Cricket Stadium in Mulpani, Kathmandu. The full schedule for the tournament will be announced later.Ten teams will be competing in the tournament for four places in the World Cup proper, which will be held in England and Wales in June-July. Only five teams have been confirmed as participants for the Qualifier so far.While Bangladesh and Ireland have already confirmed their places in the Qualifier, having participated in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Thailand and hosts Nepal have made it through the Asia qualifiers, and USA from the Americas one.The remaining five teams will be confirmed through the other regional qualifiers, with two teams each from Africa and Europe, and one from the East Asia-Pacific regions filling the slots.The T20 World Cup Qualifier will see the ten teams divided into two groups of five each. The best six teams then make it to the Super Six stage, before the final.The T20 World Cup in 2026 will have 12 teams participating for the first time in the history of the tournament, up from ten teams who had played in it in 2024. New Zealand are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final last year.

The need for results over the coming weeks has been heightened. Arne Slot made a telling comment on his hopes of Liverpool progressing deep into the Carabao Cup when fielding a much-rotated team with a bench full of youngsters (average age of 19) against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening.

The Eagles won 3-0, their third win over the Reds this term, and that’s now six losses from seven matches in all competitions for Slot’s side, who are very much in crisis mode.

The Dutch boss had turned his attention toward the daunting run of upcoming fixtures before the opening whistle screeched in midweek, and now there is not an emphasis but an expectation that wins will be struck to stop the rot and turn back toward the compelling title defence that was anticipated after a summer of record-breaking spending.

01/11/25

Premier League

Aston Villa (H)

04/11/25

Champions League

Real Madrid (H)

09/11/25

Premier League

Man City (A)

22/11/25

Premier League

Nott’m Forest (H)

26/11/25

Champions League

PSV (H)

If we can take a sliver of optimism from this abject run of form, it’s that, having played an overload of matches away from home, four of the next five take place down Anfield Road, having lost on home soil to Palace on Wednesday too.

There simply has to be a swift upswing. Looking at it from a wider lens, though, it may well be that some Redmen have entered the final phase of their careers on Merseyside.

The Liverpool players Hughes needs to sell

Sporting director Richard Hughes was lauded after his emphatic summer transfer window, overseeing a staggering rebuild at Liverpool after Slot defied expectations to win the Premier League in his first year at the helm.

But the summer upheaval has sent it all in a bit of a spin. Still. Though we must reserve judgement on under-firing newbies such as Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz, there are certain veterans at the club who aren’t pulling their weight.

Take, for example, Joe Gomez, who is Liverpool’s longest-serving player but now shows the rust of a man who has been afforded few chances to impress in recent years, with injuries and superiorities elsewhere in defence keeping him on the fringe.

Against Palace, the England international struggled to impress, lacking any semblance of command in a backline that was without the calming presence of Virgil van Dijk.

Minutes played

90′

Goals conceded

3

Errors made

1

Touches

92

Accurate passes

69/76 (91%)

Possession lost

9x

Recoveries

5

Tackles

1/1

Interceptions

3

Clearances

8

Ground duels

1/3

Aerial duels

3/4

Wataru Endo has been something of a stalwart since arriving at the club for a smart fee in 2023, but the 32-year-old’s role has diminished as his time in England has dragged on.

Stodgy athleticism and limitations on the ball have kept the Japan captain from being anything more than a tackle-first substitute under Slot’s wing, and now it appears he is approaching the end of an illustrious couple of years in Liverpool, unable to offer a viable solution at number six.

Liverpool should have better options in the middle of the park, in any case, but that doesn’t appear to be so as the 2025/26 campaign rolls into its fourth month.

The Liverpool midfielder who's failing Slot

We’ve been here before. Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit Premier League champions were overwhelmed across the 2020/21 campaign, and scrambled to salvage Champions League football toward the end of the term.

But the deterioration of 2022/23 was more concerning, with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho flattering to deceive in the middle of the park. The Reds needed to rebuild, and so fashioned together the title-winning engine room of the past few years.

The standout of that rebuild has been Alexis Mac Allister, instrumental to lifting Liverpool back off the ground in 2023/24, after joining from Brighton for around £35m, and then revelling in winning the Premier League last season.

Now, he’s fallen off a proverbial cliff, with his sedentary performances in midfield not those of an elite, robust midfielder. One Liverpool content creator actually said it “looks like Fabinho’s season”, when the Brazilian slumped from his formerly imperious level as the midfield anchor, his legs gone.

Goals

0.17

0.00

Assists

0.17

0.19

Touches

64.41

63.09

Pass completion (%)

83.5

83.5

Shot-creating actions

4.16

2.84

Progressive passes

6.13

3.60

Progressive carries

1.25

2.27

Successful take-ons

0.55

0.00

Ball recoveries

5.13

4.74

Tackles & interceptions

4.05

2.65

The data does suggest that Mac Allister lacks his former vim and vigour, but given that he is only 26 years old and regarded as a “superstar” of a midfielder, as has been said by pundit Joe Cole, this is deeply worrying for those of a red persuasion.

For Fabinho, though only 29 at the time of his £40m transfer to Al-Ittihad, had played 219 high-octane, turbo-charged matches as the heartbeat of Klopp’s Liverpool team, and going from 1.25 carries per game in his first season in England to an average of only 0.51 in 2022/23 emphasises his loss of athleticism.

For a player of Mac Allister’s all-encompassing midfield quality, it’s imperative that Slot gets a tune out of him once again. If the Argentine does not click into gear this season, Liverpool will struggle to hit their stride.

There will be an expectation around Anfield that Mac Allister’s dip in form is not permanent, and that he’s back on his A-game before long.

However, this startling drop-off dredges up unwanted memories of Fabinho’s own fall from grace at Anfield, and Slot will be gravely hoping that lightning hasn’t struck twice on the Liverpool squad.

Another Chiesa: Slot's treatment of Liverpool star is a "sackable offence"

Liverpool have a shrewd solution to one of their biggest problems this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was off to a hot start in Sunday's Game 2 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

Tatis started off by crushing a 387-foot home run in the first inning to put the Padres on the board early. In the third inning, he hit a double. He was later brought in for a run in the sixth inning.

The right fielder was shining defensively, too. He caught what appeared to be an uncatchable ball from Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning. As he stood in the outfield after pulling down the deep line drive, Dodgers fans began booing Tatis. Instead of letting their jeers bother him, Tatis fully embraced the boos, and he even egged them on to get louder and keep going.

He wanted the Dodgers fans to know the noise didn't bother him.

Tatis was one of the players Dodgers fans were most worried about facing. Before Sunday's game, Tatis was averaging .600/.692/1.000 through the first three Padres postseason games.

Wicketkeeper-batter makes career-best 98 not out before Sonny Baker seals rout

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Jul-2025Toby Albert was left stranded two runs shy of a maiden Men’s Vitality Blast century but his new highest score allowed Hampshire Hawks to leapfrog Glamorgan into third in the South Group.Wicket-keeper batter Albert built his innings up slowly to reach a fever-pitch 98 off 57 balls but he lost strike to Hilton Cartwright in the last over to fall short of a deserved ton.Albert and Cartwright smashed 114 to take Hampshire to a massive 208 – which Glamorgan barely troubled by getting bowled out for 113, with Sonny Baker claiming a career-best four for 20.Hawks have now won three of their last four matches to boost their chances of reaching the quarter-finals, while Glamorgan had their two game winning run ended but still have qualification in their hands.Hampshire chose to bat first on the same pitch used for the double header against Somerset on Sunday and like that defeat, had a slow start.James Vince was caught behind trying to work into the offside and Tom Prest had the top of his stumps kissed by Ned Leonard after a laboured 15 – leaving the Hawks 42 for two at the end of the powerplay.Joe Weatherley put things pointing in the right direction with Albert through hard graft to set-up a second where Albert could tee-off.Weatherley and Albert put on 48 at an easy-pace before Cartwright entered to set off some fireworks and push Hampshire towards and over 200.Albert reached his half-century in 37 balls, so far unspectacular but he turned on the afterburns with some incredible reverses for six while also using his brutal power.Albert had begun the season opening, scoring two half-centuries and keeping before Luan-dre Pretorius took both roles off him and his form dipped.At the other end, Cartwright had started with a six and barely slowed down – hitting four maximums in total in a breath-taking 20-ball 48.But he was the villain for the crowd by not taking a single with Albert on 98 – instead picking out long-on to end a 114-run stand.Albert was still the hero, he ended with comfortably his highest T20 score and had smashed 48 off the last 20 balls he faced – Hampshire hitting 81 in the last five overs.On a pitch where 170 looked par, 208 looked a tough ask to chase down.Regular wickets made sure partnerships were never formed with the Glamorgan batters as Hampshire quickly went for the kill.The familiar pairing of Chris Wood and Vince combined to catch Kiran Carlson in the third over, before Alex Horton scooped a pacy Baker ball straight to Albert with the gloves.Ben Kellaway chipped to mid off, Will Smale was bowled, Colin Ingram skied one straight down the ground and Dan Douthwaite holed out.Baker rounded things out with more speed, getting Asa Tribe and Ned Leonard upper-cutting before Imad Wasim whacked to cover as Baker returned a best four for 20.Wood ended Glamorgan’s horror showing when Mason Crane chipped to midwicket with seven balls to spare to complete a 95-run mauling.

Arsenal are well and truly on the charge this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League table and on Tuesday night stunned Europe by dismantling Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

While they finally faced a shot on target in the second half, the Gunners ended up putting four goals past the Spanish giants, and even then, didn’t even look like they were at their best.

One of the standout performers on the night was undoubtedly Declan Rice, and in brilliant news, another of Arteta’s signings is starting to play a bit like the Englishman.

Declan Rice's incredible form

To the surprise of practically nobody who has watched him over the last few years, Rice has continued to perform at a world-class level for Arsenal this season.

On top of being a bruising, no-nonsense midfielder who can batter opposition players and disrupt their attacks, he’s become a sensational offensive operator in his own right.

Whether it’s crashing the box late, lashing in a shot from range or delivering absurdly perfect set-piece deliveries, the Englishman is a player opposition defenders simply cannot ignore.

His dead-ball expertise was on full display against Atléti on Tuesday night, as it was his free-kick that found the head of Gabriel Magalhães to open the scoring in the 57th minute.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, it was his free-kick in the 70th minute that eventually led to the Gunners’ fourth and final goal.

Moreover, he’s already chalked up three assists in the Premier League this season, all three of which have come from, you guessed it, set-pieces.

With all this in mind, it’s really quite difficult to disagree with Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz’s opinion that, in the former West Ham United captain, Arsenal have “the best set piece taker in world football.”

However, he’s not just a set-piece machine, and there is now another player in Arteta’s squad who is starting to emulate some of his other best traits.

The Arsenal star playing like Rice

There were several players who really shone for Arsenal on Tuesday night, from Gabriel to Martin Zubimendi and even Gabriel Martinelli, who scored a wonderful curled effort to make it 2-0

However, one of the real stars of the show, and the man who could be described as playing a bit like Rice these days, is Viktor Gyokeres.

The summer signing finally ended his goalscoring drought with a brace against Atléti, and while neither goal was particularly impressive from an aesthetic perspective, that really doesn’t matter.

It was just important for the Swedish international to finally get his name back on the scoresheet and to get some of the pressure off his back that has been slowly building over the last few weeks.

Moreover, even without the two goals, it was, as analyst Rohan Jivan said, his “best game in an Arsenal shirt by far,” and one that saw him named Man of the Match and given a 9/10 match rating by the Sun’s Jordan Davies.

For example, he was constantly making smart runs in behind the Madrid outfit’s defence, or off to the left to stretch the pitch and free up space for his teammates.

Moreover, even when the ball wasn’t finding him, or he had a couple of poor touches, his head never dropped; instead, it seemed to make him more determined.

This never-say-die and run yourself into the ground for the team approach is one of the key traits he shares with Rice, and then, on top of that, he’s also got that bruising, physical side to him.

The Stockholm-born “steam train,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, might not have the silky footwork of a Hugo Ekitiké or Alexander Isak, but like the former West Ham man, he will bulldoze his way into dangerous positions.

Appearances

12

Starts

11

Minutes

925′

Goals

5

Assists

0

Goals per Match

0.41

Minutes per Goal

185′

With all that said, it is still clear that there is more to come from the former Sporting CP monster this season, even if he now has a pretty reasonable haul of five goals in 12 games this season.

Ultimately, there are plenty of differences between the pair, but the way in which Gyokeres never gives up and uses his physical gifts to bulldoze opposition players is starting to make him look a bit Rice-like.

As vital as Rice: Arsenal star is becoming "one of the best on the planet"

Arsenal sealed a remarkable 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2025

Kylian Mbappe has hit back at French rapper Orelsan after being mocked in a new track over the Real Madrid star’s ownership of Caen. The French club now sit in the third tier of French football after facing relegation under Mbappe's ownership. The striker issued a fiery reply on social media, accusing the rapper of "begging" for a free stake in the club.

Mbappe fires back at French rapper Orelsan

The feud erupted hours after French rapper Orelsan dropped his new album, featuring a biting track titled “La petite voix.” In one verse, the Caen-born artist took aim at Mbappe’s record as club owner, sneering, “You’re going to sink your city like the Mbappes.” The line referenced Caen’s dramatic decline since the footballer’s family-led takeover in 2024.

Mbappe, known for rarely engaging in off-field controversies, wasted no time responding. Posting on X, he wrote: “You’re welcome to come and save the city you love so much.

“PS: The guy kept begging us to get in with 1% without paying because he doesn’t have a penny but wanted to look like the little guy from Normandy.”

The jab sparked mixed reactions. Some accused Mbappe of arrogance and deflection, while others applauded his blunt defence. The incident, however, revived scrutiny of his ill-fated venture with Caen, a club now mired in relegation, layoffs, and mounting frustration among fans who once saw him as a saviour.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMbappe’s failed Caen project

In 2024, Mbappe became one of Europe’s youngest football club owners after purchasing an 80 per cent stake in Caen through his firm, Coalition Capital, investing around €20 million. What began as a symbolic homecoming, returning to the club that once nearly signed him as a youth, quickly turned into a cautionary tale of ambition and mismanagement.

By April 2025, Caen had hit rock bottom. A crushing 0-3 defeat to Martigues mathematically confirmed their relegation from Ligue 2, sending the club into France’s third division for the first time in 41 years. Supporters stormed the pitch in protest, unfurling a banner reading: “Mbappe, SMC is not your toy.”

The fallout was immediate. Sixteen staff members were laid off in a controversial restructuring, and fan trust evaporated. Christophe Vaucelle, head of the Malherbe Normandy Kop, summed up local sentiment, saying: “The Mbappe clan bears some responsibility. They arrived, stayed invisible, and disconnected from the fans. The situation is catastrophic.”

For Mbappe, the failure cut deep. Alongside Madrid’s Champions League exit that same week, Caen’s relegation marked one of the most turbulent months of his career, both as a footballer and businessman.

AFPHow Caen collapsed under new ownership

Behind the scenes, Mbappe’s management model at Caen was built on trust and delegation. His close associate Ziad Hammoud took over as club president, while sporting operations were overseen by general manager Josselin Flamand and technical director Pascal Plancque.

Recruitment head Reda Hammache later revealed that Mbappe stayed “informed but not intrusive,” relying on regular updates rather than day-to-day control. “He’s not the type to call and demand changes,” Hammache told . “He trusts us but gives input on big decisions.”

However, reports claim the absence of a strong leadership presence at the club left a vacuum. Miscommunication, unclear sporting direction, and repeated coaching changes – from Bruno Baltazar to Michel Der Zakarian and later Maxime D’Ornano – created instability. Dressing-room tension grew, morale plummeted, and results worsened.

For many fans, the perception that Mbappe had overextended himself as he juggles between Madrid, the French national team, and a football club further cemented the narrative that Caen was a vanity project gone wrong. The financial losses from relegation and dwindling ticket sales have only deepened the crisis.

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Fame, failure, and France’s changing relationship With Mbappe

The Orelsan feud struck a cultural chord because it exposed a growing rift between Mbappe and sections of the French public. Once seen as the golden boy of football, the Madrid star now faces skepticism about his off-field ambitions. This is not the first time Mbappe has clashed with figures from France’s rap scene, his earlier feud with Booba also revolved around ego and authenticity. But this latest exchange cuts deeper, tying together fame, money and regional pride.

As Caen continue life in the National League, the club’s focus has shifted toward stability and youth development under coach D’Ornano. Meanwhile, Mbappe must navigate the fallout by balancing his image as a global superstar with the growing backlash at home.