Super League clubs unlikely to face heavy financial penalties for leaving short-lived project

Clubs that abandoned the Super League are unlikely to face heavy financial penalties, as there is “no appetite for legal battles” within the body.

It had initially been felt by officials at some of the clubs that the contracts were so binding that it would have been almost impossible to leave, and this was put forward as a reason why initial cracks from Tuesday lunchtime were to be disregarded.

The Independent has been told that there was “theoretically” the possibility for “eye-watering” punishments, but the spirit of the agreements was that they applied to anyone unilaterally jumping ship in the third or fourth year of the project.

Under the circumstances, with 10 clubs gone but all of them still shareholders, there is no will to get into a messy civil war.

The officials instead have to work it out between themselves to unpick the situation, although that is made more difficult because Juventus and Real Madrid are still clinging to the idea.

While sources within the Super League state the “project is now dead”, there is still a will to revive something similar in the future, ensuring the need to keep good relations.

It is understood any financial cost for leaving would be relatively small, akin to the transfer fee of a squad player.

The clubs ultimately have no desire to “squeeze the life out of each other” after what has been a bruising week.

Chelsea were the first to announce they were preparing paperwork to leave the Super League on Tuesday evening, a development quickly followed by Manchester City’s announcement that they had withdrawn.

That began a cascade that ultimately killed the project.

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