Real Madrid snatch the brains behind the Super League project, and European peace deal is now imminent
Bernd Reichart has crossed the line. The Super League chief executive is no longer an outside ally of Real Madrid, he's now working inside the white club, and the move redraws the map of European football.
Here was the face and the mastermind of the most divisive project the continent has seen. He's swapped the cloak of European revolution for Real Madrid's official suit, in an administrative deal that carries the weight of a marquee transfer.
The media face of the Super League inside the white house
Spanish newspaper "AS" report that Reichart has officially joined Real Madrid in a role the club had left vacant for a long time: head of commercial operations.
The German executive, the pivotal figure in the Super League project, takes charge of the club's most important economic files. That means running the Santiago Bernabeu stadium along with sponsorship and marketing. He reports directly to Jose Angel Sanchez, Madrid's chief executive and a member of the board of directors.
From suing UEFA to developing Madrid's business
Reichart did far more than draw a salary from the Super League. He was its media face and its fiercest defender at every stage, a project that fought a historic legal battle ending with the court recognising that UEFA had abused its dominant position, forcing a rebalancing of power between the major clubs and the European governing body.
His record outside football stands up too. He served as chief executive of media giant RTL Group and worked at the Spanish company Atresmedia, handing him broad experience in business management and the entertainment industry.
A message of imminent European peace
According to the newspaper, the appointment carries implications well beyond the walls of the Bernabeu. One of the most prominent figures in the Super League project is now dedicating himself to developing the Spanish giants' commercial business, and that strongly suggests the final peace agreement for European football is imminent, following the preliminary deal struck in February of this year.
With the architect of the European rebellion stepping aside to serve Real Madrid, the chapter of conflict between Madrid and UEFA looks closed for good. Partnership is the headline now, not confrontation.
